Doctor of Indian Descent Found Guilty in $2.3 Million Drug Distribution Scheme
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Synopsis
A doctor of Indian descent has been convicted of a $2.3 million scheme involving the illegal distribution of controlled substances and healthcare fraud. This case highlights the ongoing opioid crisis and the misuse of medical prescriptions.
Key Takeaways
- Neil Anand convicted for $2.3 million drug conspiracy.
- Issued pre-signed prescriptions for oxycodone.
- Medically unnecessary prescriptions billed to insurance companies.
- Involved in money laundering to conceal fraud proceeds.
- Similar cases highlight the opioid epidemic in the US.
New York, April 17 (NationPress) A doctor of Indian origin has been found guilty of involvement in a $2.3 million conspiracy aimed at the unlawful distribution of controlled substances and committing healthcare fraud, as stated by the US Justice Department.
Neil Anand, aged 48, was also convicted of money laundering on Tuesday in a federal court located in Pennsylvania, according to reports from the department released on Wednesday.
As part of the conspiracy to distribute drugs unlawfully, he issued pre-signed medical prescriptions for oxycodone that were utilized by interns, allowing just nine patients to obtain a total of 20,850 tablets, the department noted.
Oxycodone is an opioid painkiller known for its potential for addiction and is a significant contributor to the ongoing drug crisis in the US.
Anand also provided “medically unnecessary prescription medications” in what prosecutors referred to as “Goody Bags” through his pharmacies, enabling patients to access controlled substances, while submitting fraudulent bills to health insurance companies and government plans for these unneeded drugs.
Prosecutors indicated that the insurance entities and plans reimbursed $2.3 million for the medications in the “Goody Bags.”
Upon learning about the investigation, Anand transferred roughly $1.2 million to an account under his father's name for the benefit of his underage daughter to hide the fraudulent proceeds, according to the prosecutors.
Arun Bodapati, a government attorney from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division's Fraud Section, was involved in the prosecution.
Anand's sentencing is scheduled for August.
Initially charged in 2019 alongside four others—three of whom were foreign medical graduates without US practice licenses—Anand's case draws parallels to a 2017 incident where another Indian-American cardiologist faced 39 charges related to unlawful opioid distribution and healthcare fraud.
The cardiologist, based in Nevada, was reported to have prescribed opioids such as fentanyl, hydrocodone, and oxycodone routinely without legitimate medical justification between May 2014 and September 2017, as detailed by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions and other law enforcement officials.
Devendra Patel, the accused cardiologist, had appeared in a federal court in Reno, Nevada, where he pleaded not guilty, as per reports from US media.
