Physician sentenced for MRI center kickbacks

New Jersey Doctor Sentenced for Taking Cash Kickbacks in Diagnostic Referral Scheme

A doctor practicing internal medicine in Orange, N.J., was sentenced last week to five months in prison and five months of home confinement for taking cash kickbacks for making referrals to a diagnostic testing lab in Orange, the DOJ announced. Mahesh Patel, 64, of Florham Park, N.J., a board-certified physician, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court to an information charging him with soliciting and receiving more than $6,000 in illegal cash kickbacks for patient referrals in violation of the federal health care anti-kickback statute.

Including Patel, 17 defendants – including 15 doctors – have been convicted in connection with the government’s ongoing investigation of illegal payments made by Orange Community MRI LLC (Orange MRI), a diagnostic testing facility.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Patel operated his own medical practice in Orange. From 2010 through November 2011, Patel agreed to take cash payments from Orange MRI in exchange for MRI scans he referred to the diagnostic testing facility. Patel admitted to receiving cash on a per-patient basis for nearly two years, and that on one of the occasions on which he received cash, Oct. 13, 2011, he received $375 in exchange for his prior referral of Medicare and Medicaid patients.       

Ashokkumar Babaria, 64, of Moorestown, N.J., Orange MRI’s former medical director, has been ordered to forfeit more than $2 million in revenue from corrupt referrals. Chirag Patel, 38, of Warren, N.J., Orange MRI’s former executive director, awaits sentencing and has agreed to forfeit $89,180 in corrupt gains. In addition, 13 health care providers, including Mahesh Patel, have agreed to forfeit a total of $460,140 in illegal cash kickbacks. Two health care providers were convicted at trial and forfeiture has yet to be determined.

Here is a related article from 2011:

http://tinyurl.com/k34mzjc

About the Author

Reed Tinsley CPA

This article is written by Reed Tinsley, a Houston, TX-based CPA with over 30 years of experience advising physicians and medical practices across Texas and the United States. Reed holds certifications as a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), Certified Healthcare Business Consultant (CHBC), and Certified Financial Planner (CFP), specializing exclusively in the healthcare sector. He is a published author, nationally recognized speaker, and trusted advisor to physicians on accounting & tax, practice management, and financial planning. Schedule a Free Consultation.