NEW YORK, Mar 6: An Indian-origin physician in the US has been slapped with multiple charges of committing healthcare fraud and unlawfully distributing controlled substances, facing up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
Mahesh Kuthuru 43, who owned and operated a medical practice, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Syracuse, New York.
The indictment charges Kuthuru and his employee Bonnie Meislin, 42, with engaging in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting claims for reimbursement that falsely represented that Kuthuru had performed medical services when in fact he had not, US Attorney Richard Hartunian said in a statement.
Kuthuru was arrested in Las Vegas last month and is scheduled to appear for arraignment before US Magistrate Judge Therese Wiley Dancks in Syracuse on March 12.
Each of the 30 health fraud counts carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of USD 250,000.
Each of the 15 counts of drug distribution carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment with a fine of USD one million.
According to the indictment, Kuthuru purchased a medical practice in Las Vegas in November 2008.
By January, 2010, through to September, 2011, Kuthuru was spending the majority of his time at his Las Vegas medical practice, coming back to his New York offices to treat patients only on a sporadic basis.
The indictment further charges that from January, 2010, through to September, 2011, there were substantial periods of time when there were no licensed medical personnel in the New York offices.
Patients there were seen only by unlicensed staff members who had received no formal medical training.
Kuthuru is also charged with illegally distributing controlled substances including oxycodone, methadone and morphine sulphate. (AGENCIES)
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