A Wisconsin physician was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison for his role in a $13 million fraudulent billing scheme, according to the Justice Department.
Prosecutors accused Ravi Murali, MD, of writing thousands of fraudulent orders for durable medical equipment. Dr. Murali's fraudulent orders were then submitted as claims to Medicare. The scheme resulted in $26 million in fraudulent charges to Medicare, of which $13 million was paid.
Dr. Murali previously pleaded guilty to the charges March 31.
Chief U.S. District Judge James Peterson, who sentenced Dr. Murali, said the severe sentence was necessary to deter other providers from defrauding federal programs. Mr. Peterson also said Dr. Murali's history of dishonesty — noting an incident where he allegedly made a fake diploma saying he completed his medical residency — was another factor in the longer sentence.