Podiatry Malpractice Blog : Podiatry Malpractice Lawyer & Attorney : Michael A. Quinn Law Firm : Surgery, Amputation, Podiatric Medicine : New Jersey

 A Grifton podiatrist was sentenced to probation and a fine for a drug charge.

Dr. Paul Joseph Civatte, 52, was given a sentence of 12 months of probation and a  fine for a reduced charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. The case dated back to Dr. Civatte's 2007 arrest for possession of cocaine and maintaining a automobile for the use of controlled substances(CDS).

Dr. Civatee, who is a podiatrist at  Greenville Foot and Ankle Center,  was arrested for allegedly possessing two grams of cocaine while attempting to purchase drugs from undercover officers.

The cocaine possession charge was reduced to possession of drug paraphernalia. The other charge was dismissed.

Joseph Civatte, DPM was sentenced to a term of supervised probation and was fined $1,000. He was ordered to pay court costs in the amount of $541.50.

Source: ENCtoday.com (April 13, 2009)

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Dr. Dave Dai Quang Pham, a St. Louis podiatrist, is accused of trying to exchange prescription drugs for sex.

The St. Francois County Prosecutor charged 49-year-old Dr. Pham with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, distribution of a controlled substance, and a misdemeanor, patronizing prostitution.

Source: Associated Press (April 2, 2009)
 

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A St. Louis, Missouri podiatrist has plead guilty to obstructing a federal audit when she provided the Medicare program with a false and backdated treatment record, U.S.  said Thursday.

Bic Chau Stafford, D.P.M., 59, who practices at the Family Foot and Ankle Care Center in Maryland Heights, as well as assorted assisted living facilities in St. Louis County and St. Louis City, plead guilty to one felony count of obstruction of a federal audit.  When sentenced Dr. Stafford faces fines of up to $250,000 and  maximum penalty of five years in prison. 

Prosecutors said that Dr. Stafford allegedly billed Medicare for complex foot surgeries provided to 39  Medicare beneficiaries when she was really providing these patients with only routine foot care, such as toenail clippings

Prosecutors said, in response to a Medicare audit, Dr. Stafford created new treatment records for the 39 patients in 2007 and backdated them to 2004, and claimed that she had provided these patients with podiatric surgery.
 

Source: St. Louis Business Journal (April 2, 2009)

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Larry Cruel, D.P.M., a Mississippi podiatrist,  has been arrested following an insurance fraud investigation, announced Attorney General.

Larry Cruel, D.P.M. (age 44), is a podiatrist at Advanced Foot Care in Jackson, MS.  He was recently arrested  by investigators with the Attorney General's Office and charged with one count of insurance fraud and one count of wire fraud for allegedly submitting false claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield. Dr. Cruel faces up to three years for the insurance fraud charge and up to five years for the wire fraud charge .

As with all cases, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Source: Compnewsnetwork, March 27, 2009 (workerscompensation.com)

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