A physician was sentenced to four years in prison Dec. 11 for his role in a $30 million scheme to defraud Medicare and New York's Medicaid program, according to the Department of Justice.
The sentencing came after Paul Mathieu, MD, was convicted in May of healthcare fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to commit those offenses, and conspiracy to make false statements in connection with a federal healthcare program.
Between 2007 and 2013, Aleksandr Burman owned and operated six medical clinics in Brooklyn. New York law requires medical clinics to be owned and operated by a medical professional, but Mr. Burman circumvented this requirement by hiring physicians, including Dr. Mathieu, to pose as the owners.
According to evidence presented at trial, Dr. Mathieu posed as the owner of three medical clinics in Brooklyn. He signed documents falsely representing to banks, Medicare and Medicaid that he was the sole owner of the clinics, according to the Justice Department.
As part of the scheme, Dr. Mathieu falsely claimed he examined and treated patients. During a three-year period in which he saw no patients, Dr. Mathieu falsified stacks of phony medical records, stating that he had treated patients. He also wrote unneeded prescriptions for adult diapers and other incontinence products. A medical supply company owned by Mr. Burman filled the prescriptions, according to the Justice Department.
Mr. Burman and his co-conspirators used the six medical clinics to submit $30 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid.
Dr. Mathieu is the 10th defendant to be sentenced in for his role in the scheme. In May 2017, Mr. Burman was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
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