A Michigan doctor was sentenced to 16.5 years in prison for his role in a healthcare fraud scheme that resulted in over $250 million in false and fraudulent claims being submitted to Medicare, Medicaid, and other health insurance programs, exploited patients suffering from addiction by administering unnecessary injections, illegally distributed over 6.6 million doses of medically unnecessary opioids, and engaged in money laundering. In September 2021, Francisco Patino, M.D., 68, of Wayne County, was convicted at trial in the Eastern District of Michigan of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud, healthcare fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay and receive healthcare kickbacks, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. Patino joins 21 other defendants who were previously sentenced for participating in the same scheme.
