MEDIA
Jose Santeiro, Miami Lakes Psychiatrist, Sentenced
Jose Santeiro Press Release Addiction Treatment Facilities’ Medical Director Sentenced in $112 Million Addiction Treatment Fraud Scheme Thursday, July 7, 2022 For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs A Florida doctor was sentenced today to 54 months in prison for engaging in a scheme that fraudulently billed approximately $112 million for substance abuse services that were never provided or were medically unnecessary. According to court documents, Jose Santeiro, 62, of Miami Lakes, worked with others to unlawfully bill for approximately $112 million of addiction treatment services that were never rendered and/or were medically unnecessary at two addiction treatment facilities where [...]
Varanise Booker, Louisville Psychiatrist, Sentenced
Varanise Booker PRESS RELEASE Kentucky Psychiatrist Sentenced for Health Care Fraud Related to Referrals for Drug Testing at Greensburg Lab Thursday, June 16, 2022 For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Pennsylvania PITTSBURGH - A resident of Louisville, Kentucky, was sentenced in federal court yesterday for one count of health care fraud, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced. United States District Judge David S. Cercone sentenced Varanise C. Booker, 67, to 36 months of probation and ordered that she pay restitution totaling $24,217.26 to the Kentucky Medicaid program. During the defendant’s plea hearing on October 5, 2021, [...]
Venkata Chintala, UK psychiatrist, suspended
BBC Former Southern Health psychiatrist did other work while on sick leave June 14, 2022 -- Excerpt A psychiatrist who called in sick, due to stress, and then worked for another provider hours later has been suspended for two months. Dr Venkata Chintala was employed by Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust during January and May 2019, when she said she could not work but completed 10 appointments for another provider. She admitted misconduct and said she was "sad" and "disappointed"... But the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) panel said while she was found to have "some insight" into her misconduct, [...]
Rajeev Sheoran, Penticton psychiatrist, ordered to pay
Rajeev Sheoran 100 Mile Free Press Penticton psychiatrist ordered to pay Interior Health’s legal costs over failed lawsuit By Brennan Phillips May 30, 2022 -- Excerpt The Penticton psychiatrist who refused a $625,000 settlement and lost his lawsuit against Interior Health over being attacked by a patient will now also have to pay the health authority’s legal fees. In a judgment issued on May 26, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Steven Wilson concluded that the 36-day trial and the fact that IH was successful in its defense entitled it to having Dr. Rajeev Sheoran cover the legal costs... At Penticton Regional [...]
Mark Agresti, Palm Beach County psychiatrist, Sentenced
Mark Agresti Palm Beach Post (Florida) Sober-home fraud scheme doctor receives an 8-year term; Judge: Dr. Mark Agresti enabled $31.3 million insurance swindle By Jane Musgrave May 28, 2022 -- Excerpt With his wife and 90-year-old mother looking on, a once-respected Palm Beach County psychiatrist was handcuffed and led from a federal courtroom on Friday to begin serving an eight-year prison sentence for exploiting people struggling with addiction. Dr. Mark Agresti's quick transformation from free man to federal prisoner was unusual. Typically, white-collar criminals are allowed to remain free, get their affairs in order and then report to prison. But [...]
Yashwant Chaudhri, San Diego Psychiatrist, no “right to renew his license”
Yashwant Chaudhri WWLP Psychiatrist failed to document patient’s care and not properly terminate relationship By Ashley Shook May 28, 2022 -- Excerpt WAKEFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine announced Friday it has taken action... According to the Board, the following actions were taken against the medical licenses of Yashwant S. Chaudhri, M.D... Dr. Yashwant S. Chaudhri, a psychiatrist who currently practices medicine in San Diego, will not have the right to renew his license after the Board found that Dr. Chaudhri had been disciplined by the Medical Board of California for reasons substantially similar to [...]
David Ciancimino, Shelton Psychiatrist, Sentenced
David Ciancimino CT Insider Feds: Shelton psychiatrist sentenced for illegally prescribing Xanax, Adderall By Liz Hardaway May 26, 2022 -- Excerpt HARTFORD — A psychiatrist based out of Shelton was sentenced to more than three years in prison Thursday for prescribing Xanax and Adderall “with little to no medical examination,” according to federal prosecutors. David Ciancimino, 63, of Trumbull, practiced psychiatry and neurology at an office in Shelton. Law enforcement started looking into Ciancimino’s prescribing practices of various benzodiazepines, such as Xanax, and stimulants, like Adderall, in October 2020, according to United States Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery. During the [...]
Patricia Boyer, Charlotte psychiatrist – license revoked
Patricia Boyer Charlotte Observer (North Carolina) Charlotte psychiatrist loses NC medical license after having affair with a patient By Michael Gordon May 26, 2022 -- Excerpt A veteran Charlotte psychiatrist lost her state medical license this week after having a lengthy affair with a patient whom she informally kept treating and medicating with no documentation. The N.C. Medical Board revoked the license of Dr. Patricia Boyer on Monday after finding that she violated professional standards by having an intimate relationship with a current or former patient... After several years of treatment that showed "a lack of therapeutic progress," Boyer discussed [...]
John Mitchell, Emmaus Psychiatrist, arrested
John Mitchell Lehighvalleylive.com Patient death led to charges Lehigh Valley doc overprescribed drugs for 15 years, AG says By Sarah Cassi May 24, 2022 -- Excerpt A Lehigh Valley woman’s death led prosecutors to a local doctor who overprescribed opioids and other drugs to patients over a 15-year period, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office said. John Mitchell, a psychiatrist who had offices in South Whitehall Township and Emmaus, was arrested Monday and charged with 13 counts, including unlawfully administering, dispensing or prescribing schedule II controlled substances. Mitchell, 70, was released on $75,000 unsecured bail. Court papers list a Quakertown address [...]
Scot Nicolson Duffton, Tasmania psychiatrist, barred from practicing
Scot Nicolson Duffton ABC NEWS Psychiatrist barred from practising after sexual relationship with patient in Hobart By Emily Baker May 12, 2022 -- Excerpt A psychiatrist who developed a sexual relationship with a vulnerable patient during at-home visits has been barred from working in mental health until 2024 after acknowledging his actions may have been "terribly damaging". Scot Nicolson Duffton in part blamed the death of his pet for the "huge violation of my professional ethics" more than 30 years into his medical career. Dr Duffton moved from New Zealand to Tasmania in June 2019 to work as a locum [...]