Former Quebec doctor charged in $375M fraud in U.S.
Admin
A former Quebec doctor is facing charges in what officials are calling one of the largest Medicare fraud schemes in U.S. history.
Dr. Jacques Roy, 54, and six other people are alleged to have defrauded the Medicare system of almost $375 million.
“This represents the single largest fraud amount, orchestrated by one doctor, in the history of our Medicare fraud strike force operations,” U.S. Deputy Attorney General James Cole told a news conference Tuesday.
Prosecutors allege Dr. Jacques Roy created a false identity and socked away millions of dollars in assets. (Courtesy of CBS)He is facing 10 charges relating to patients he recruited and services he billed the government for, but allegedly never provided.
If convicted, he could face up to 100 years in prison.
Roy created medical ‘cottage industry’: document
Roy owned and operated Medistat Group Associates in the Dallas area.
Medistat was a group of health-care providers that primarily performed patient home visits and home health certifications.
Between January 2006 and November 2011, Medistat certified more than 11,000 Medicare patients for home health care, more than any other medical practice in the U.S.
“By certifying thousands of patients for home health services, he has created a cottage industry in and around Dallas-Fort Worth and made millions of dollars at the expense of taxpayers by billing Medicare and Medicaid for unnecessary services,” according to a document filed in U.S. District Court outlining the allegations.
Federal agents raided Roy’s home last June and allege the evidence found shows that he was attempting to establish a fake identity.
Among the items seized were:
- A fake Texas driver’s licence with Roy’s picture and the name Michel Poulin
- A Canadian birth certificate in the name of Michel Poulin and an application for a Canadian passport and social insurance number in that name.
- Bank deposit slips for an account in the Cayman Islands
- A copy of the book Hide Your A$$et$ and Disappear, A Step-by-Step Guide to Vanishing Without a Trace.
Prosecutors allege even after those raids, the doctor continued the illegal practice under a different company name.
Roy’s lawyer, Patrick McLain, said his client is hard working and was taking care of patients who needed medical help.
“Most physicians don’t want to take care of very poor people in rough neighbourhoods,” he said.
Roy held a medical licence in Quebec from 1981 until 1995.
Quebec’s college of physicians says he had no record of disciplinary action.
Roy made his first appearance in a Texas court this week. He’ll return to court for arraignment next week.
