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Alabama doctor agrees to plead guilty in $6M telemedicine health care fraud scheme, feds say

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BOSTON — An Alabama-based doctor has agreed to plead guilty in connection with a $6 million telemedicine fraud scheme, the U.S. Attorney said Monday.

Tommie Robinson, 43, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of health care fraud, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled.

The health fraud scheme involved durable medical equipment and genetic testing that were medically unnecessary, based on false documentation, and tainted by kickbacks, Foley said.

According to the charging documents, between December 2018 and March 2021, Robinson worked with telemedicine companies to sign medical documentation, including doctors’ orders, for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment and genetic testing.

Prosecutors allege that these orders signed by Robinson were pre-populated based on telemarketing calls made to Medicare beneficiaries, that Robinson never had any contact with the beneficiaries himself and had no medical relationship with the patients.

Durable medical equipment suppliers and laboratories ultimately submitted claims to Medicare for these signed orders.

As a result of Robinson’s alleged participation in this scheme, over $6 million in fraudulent claims were allegedly submitted to Medicare, Foley said.

For the charge of health care fraud, Robinson faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, supervised release for up to three years, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss, whichever is greater.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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