A Texas doctor and his office manager, who was also his wife, have agreed to pay more than $422,789 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they received illegal kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. Vijesh Patel and his wife, Laju Patel, both of Port Neches, Texas, have agreed to pay $422,789 to resolve allegations that they received kickbacks in return for referring patients for laboratory testing. Both have agreed to cooperate with the Department of Justice’s investigations of, and litigation against, other participants in the alleged schemes. The settlement resolves allegations that the Patels received kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute in return for Vijesh Patel’s referrals to three laboratories.
