A jury returned a guilty verdict against Kelly Robinett, DO, a former emergency room physician who took a job signing medical paperwork for a home health provider in Texas, as well as two nurses, for their roles in a $13 million fraud scheme, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Prosecutors claim Dr. Robinett signed fraudulent documents for eight years, which allowed Dallas-based Timely Home Health Services to bill Medicare for services patients didn't need. Rather than meeting with his patients to determine their needs and authorize home healthcare, Dr. Robinett just signed off on the documents.
Dr. Robinett was convicted June 22 of four fraud charges for what prosecutors called his "rubber stamp signature on fraudulent documents."
The two nurses, Kingsley Nwanguma, a vocational nurse for Timely Home Health and Joy Ogwuegbu, Timely Health's director of nursing, were also convicted for their roles in the scheme. Ms. Nwanguma allegedly falsified documents and accepted kickbacks for recruiting patients. The report did not state the exact charges Ms. Ogwuegbu faces.
The sentencing hearings for all three individuals are scheduled for a later date.
"The significance of this case highlights the responsibility healthcare workers, especially physicians and nurses, have to protect not only their patients, but prevent fraud against any federal health insurance program during the performance of their duties," Eric Jackson, head of the FBI's Dallas office, told The Dallas Morning News.