(Jonah Bennett, The Daily Caller News Foundation) – A Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) psychiatrist has been charged with bilking a health care provider out of $200,000 for services he did not actually provide.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Rochester announced the charges Thursday, which include health care fraud, tax fraud and money laundering, Rochester First reports.
Dr. Xingjia Cui, who is 52-years-old, works as a psychiatrist at the Canandaigua VA medical center in western New York. He also runs a private practice.
The FBI first started an investigation after the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office informed the bureau of a telephone conversation, in which Cui’s name came up. An inmate during the call stated that Cui prescribed drugs to drug users without examinations.
A subsequent investigation turned up some startling revelations: 61 percent of Cui’s claims, for which he was reimbursed by health insurance provider Excellus, were simply fraudulent.
Additionally, an undercover agent visited Cui’s office and paid cash for visits. The agent was never given a physical examination, and Cui did not order a urine toxicology for the first appointment.
Cui apparently would take large amounts of cash and deposit it in several bank accounts. In one instance, he appeared at a bank with exactly $10,000, in order to avoid triggering any alarm.
Prosecutors said he failed to report about $381,447 on tax forms from 2010 to 2014.
Cui has been released, but must return to court May 24. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000.
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