Doctor And Occupational Therapist Sentenced To Prison For Participating In $30 Million Scheme To Defraud Medicare And Medicaid

Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that physician PAUL J. MATHIEU was sentenced yesterday evening by U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield to 48 months in prison for his participation in a $30 million scheme to defraud Medicare and the New York State Medicaid Program. Between 2007 and 2013, MATHIEU falsely posed as the owner of three medical clinics, which were actually owned a by corrupt businessman, and falsely claimed that he had examined and treated thousands of patients whom he had not in fact seen. In addition, occupational therapist LINA ZHITNIK was sentenced by Judge Schofield on December 3, 2019, to 14 months in prison for her role in the same scheme, which included falsifying medical records in order to claim that she had provided therapy services that she had not in fact provided. MATHIEU was convicted in May 2019, following a six-week trial, on charges of health care fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to commit those offenses, and conspiracy to make false statements in connection with a federal health care program. ZHITNIK pled guilty to health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud, mail fraud and wire fraud in April 2019, during jury selection for trial.

Read more on www.justice.gov

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