A trusted osteopathic doctor working in the South Florida area has been accused of engaging in Medicare fraud. Based on the case against him, the doctor was arrested at his Miami Beach home on Pine Drive. Agents representing Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation carried him from the $1.7 million house at the time of the arrest on Monday, Sept. 30.
The doctor had achieved a degree of notoriety for his personal style. He sports bleached-blond spiked hair more reminiscent of a punk rocker than a practicing physician. He was frequently seen around town wearing CBGB t-shirts, which are popular in alternative circles.
He was also profiled by the Wall Street Journal in 2010, where he was portrayed as someone with a freewheeling lifestyle. The article claimed that he hung out with Aerosmith’s lead singer Steven Tyler, reality show star Paris Hilton and Playboy models. All of these elements combined to give him the nickname of the “Rock Doc”. Unfortunately, according to allegations by authorities, he engaged in fraudulent practices while taking in $1.2 million from Medicare in 2008.
He has already had his medical license officially revoked by Florida’s state surgeon general. The basis for that action was a claim that the doctor was running a “pill mill”. In essence, he was accused over over-prescribing drugs like Xanax and Oxycodone. Two of his patients were said to have been placed at risked of having a fatal overdose.
No matter what the charges may be, however, the defendant deserves a fair trial, as well as the right to appeal an unfavorable verdict. Just because the doctor was arrested does not mean he is automatically guilty of the charges against him. The prosecution must prove those charges beyond a reasonable doubt and the doctor’s team of attorneys will undoubtedly be working diligently to prove otherwise.
Source: Miami New Times, “South Florida “Rock Doc” Arrested for Medicare Fraud” Alli Conti, Oct. 01, 2013
