On 30th October 2020, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Audrey Strauss announced that SPYROS PANOS, a previous orthopedic surgeon, who was earlier sentenced for health care fraud, admitted guilt on 29th October 2020, in front of U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas to indictments of health care fraud, aggravated identity theft, and wire fraud, in relation to a plot in which he took the name of a licensed orthopedic surgeon and acquired more than 876,000 USD in remittance for assessing records in relation to health care appeals and Workers Compensation cases.
The Acting United States Attorney Audrey Strauss said that SpyrosAcgti Panos, a previous surgeon who gave up his medical license after an earlier indictment in his District for health care fraud, admitted to perpetrating health care fraud again, this time by he assumed the identity of a licensed physician. She added that for a second occasion, Panos awaits conviction for his criminal acts.
As per the accusations in the charges to which PANOS admitted guilt, PANOS, an unlicensed doctor, committed a scheme to swindle medical peer assessment enterprises by mimicking an authorized orthopedic surgeon operating in Winchester County (“Doctor-1”). Among other items, PANOS presented Doctor-1’s credentials peer assessment enterprises and carried out peer assessment utilizing Doctor-1’s credentials and identity. During the period of the plot, PANOS swindled peer assessment enterprises of 876,389.97 USD.
As per the affidavit in court, in the time leading to his 2nd November 2020 trial, PANOS presented proposed defense displays that comprised of fraudulent files and emails.
PANOS, age 52, from Hopewell Junction, New York, admitted guilt to a single count of wire fraud, which bears a maximum sentence of twenty years in federal prison, a single count of aggravated identity theft, which bears a compulsory minimum conviction of 2 years in prison. The statutory maximum convictions are authorized by Congress and are offered here for informational reasons only, as any conviction of the defendant would be ruled by the judge.
PANOS is planned to be convicted on 16th March 2021, at 10:00 a.m. by Judge Karas.
In relation to his plea, PANOS accepted to forfeit 876,389.97 USD and remit a compensation in the same total.
Ms. Strauss applauded the excellent investigative work done by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General, the New York Inspector General, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their help.
The prosecution for this case was conducted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Lindsey Keenan and Margery B. Feinzig were in charge of the prosecution for the case.
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