Buena Park Doctor Sentenced To Prison For Medicare Fraud
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — An Orange County doctor accused of bilking Medicare of nearly $3 million in fraudulent claims was sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay restitution Monday.
Dr. Augustus Ohemeng, a 62-year-old Buena Park resident, was sentenced to three and-a-half years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised released. U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder also ordered Ohemeng to pay nearly $2 million in restitution.
In March, Ohemeng was convicted on six counts of healthcare fraud after an investigation into Pacific Clinic in Long Beach, where Ohemeng served as medical director.
During his tenure, Ohemeng recruited Medicare patients and billed the federal program for needless tests and procedures, according to evidence presented at trial. Prosecutors said the doctor also signed and sold hundreds of fraudulent prescriptions for power wheelchairs and other equipment to medical supply companies that in turn billed Medicare for millions.
Court documents alleged that nearly all of the prescriptions for wheelchairs signed by the doctor "were written for people who could walk" and that many of the phony prescriptions were signed and left blank to be filled in by his office manager.
Ohememg was among 10 defendants charged with healthcare fraud resulting from an investigation into Pacific Clinic, Ivy Medical Supply in Anaheim and Santos Medical Supply in South Los Angeles. Federal prosecutors said that all 10 had either entered guilty pleas or been convicted by a jury as of Monday.
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