Physician Charged with Conspiracy to Unlawfully Dispense Controlled Substances and Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud

U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that a two-count bill of information was filed against a neurologist charging him with conspiracy to unlawfully dispense controlled substances and conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

Specifically, ANIL PRASAD, age 62, of Mandeville was charged with one count of prescribing controlled substances outside the course of professional practice and for no legitimate purpose and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.  According to court documents, between November 2016 and July 2018, PRASAD worked at a pain management clinic in Slidell, and during the course of his employment, PRASAD pre-signed prescriptions for controlled substances, including oxycodone and hydrocodone, without performing patient examinations to determine medical necessity.  Additionally, PRASAD knew that certain of those patients used their Medicare and Medicaid benefits to fill those prescriptions.  In total, Medicare and Medicaid paid approximately $1,657,461.15 for those prescriptions.

If convicted, PRASAD faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine as to Count 1 of the Information, and a possible maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine as to Count 2 of the Information.

U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Department of Veterans Affairs for their work investigating the case.  U.S. Attorney Strasser reiterated that the Information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case is being prosecuted by Jared Hasten of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharan Lieberman.