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Oklahoma Doctor Sentenced to Serve More Than Four Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Drug Distribution and Health Care Fraud

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Oklahoma Doctor Sentenced to Serve More Than Four Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Drug Distribution and Health Care Fraud

November 9, 2022

Press Release

On October 25, 2022, Melvin Lee Robison, 68, of Lake City, Colorado, was sentenced to serve 54 months in federal jail for unlawful drug distribution and well being care fraud, introduced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma, U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzales for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez for the Drug Enforcement Administration – Dallas Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General’s Dallas Regional Office.

“Medical doctors take an oath to help those in times of need,” mentioned U.S. Attorney Troester. “Dr. Robison prescribed addictive, dangerous, and powerful controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose and abused the medical system to line his pockets for financial gain. This conduct violated his oath and federal law. My office remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable doctors who fuel the opioid crisis and exploit their oath for money.”

“Health care fraud continues to be one of the most widespread and common forms of fraud our nation faces,” mentioned Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “It is shameful how Mr. Robison recruited patients to join him in his fraudulent scheme by offering them kickbacks from his illegal profits. We will continue to go after perpetrators like this with every resource available to us.”

“As we continue to lose lives by the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs, we look to our medical professionals for sound guidance, professionalism, and integrity,” acknowledged Special Agent in Charge Chávez. “Dr. Robison broke that oath for one sole purpose: greed. Today’s conviction is a testament to the work of our investigators, prosecutors, and law enforcement partners who will continue to protect the lives of our loved ones.”

“It is particularly egregious that Dr. Robison used stolen taxpayer money to travel abroad and then furthered his scheme by fraudulently billing Medicare while he was there,” mentioned Acting Special Agent in Charge Meadows. “HHS/OIG and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue those who steal from the American taxpayers to afford their own selfish lifestyles on the backs of honest Americans.”

On June 20, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a 159-count Indictment towards Robison, who through the related time interval ran the Robison Family Clinic in Sayre, Oklahoma. Robison was charged with quite a few counts of drug distribution—particularly, shelling out opioids and different medicine exterior the standard course {of professional} follow and not for a professional medical goal—together with a number of counts of Medicare/Medicaid fraud primarily based on, amongst different issues, providers he billed for whereas overseas and providers he billed for associated to care of sufferers in nursing houses with out performing the providers or supervising those that supplied them. On December 19, 2019, a Superseding Indictment was filed, charging Robison with 5 extra counts.

During the pendency of Robison’s prosecution on these drug and well being care fraud costs, he was additionally charged in the Southern District of Florida on June 11, 2021, with one depend of conspiracy to pay healthcare kickbacks.

On October 25, 2022, Robison pled responsible to two counts of the Superseding Indictment, charging him with the unlawful distribution of managed substances and well being care fraud. As to the well being care fraud, Robison admitted to fraudulently billing Medicare at a better fee for providers that have been carried out by a nurse practitioner as a substitute of himself. Robison additionally pled responsible to a single depend of conspiracy to pay healthcare kickbacks in his Florida case, as effectively. U.S. District Judge Timothy DeGiusti then sentenced Dr. Robison to serve a 54-month sentence on his two Oklahoma-based costs, and one other 24 months on his Florida case, to be run concurrent to his Oklahoma sentences. Robison was additionally ordered to pay a wonderful of $13,362.00, to pay restitution of $112,384.61 to the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services, and to forfeit $202,597.18. In imposing the sentence, Judge DeGiusti particularly famous the detriment to the group in that the variety of prescriptions from managed substances far exceeded the inhabitants of Sayre, Oklahoma, the place Robison practiced medication.

Pursuant to the plea settlement, the remaining counts towards Robison have been dismissed at sentencing.

This case was the results of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Oklahoma State Board of Osteopathic Examiners, the Board of Medicolegal Investigations – Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General’s Dallas Regional Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Oklahoma City Field Office. The Florida case was the results of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – West Palm Beach Field Office, in addition to the Florida Department of Financial Services-Division of Investigative and Forensic Services, Bureau of Insurance Fraud.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Anderson prosecuted the case on behalf of the Western District of Oklahoma. Alexandra Chase prosecuted the case on behalf of the Southern District of Florida.

Reference is made to public filings for extra information.

Copyright 2022 Paragon Communications. All rights reserved. This materials will not be printed, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed with out permission.

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