AUSTIN, Texas — A jury in federal court convicted a Fredericksburg doctor on Friday for defrauding Medicare of over $70 million.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, court documents and trial evidence showed that 61-year-old Dr. David M. Young of Fredericksburg signed thousands of medical records and prescriptions for orthotic braces and genetic tests that falsely claimed that the braces and tests were medically necessary. He diagnosed the beneficiaries, claimed to have a plan of care for them and recommended they receive additional treatment. The braces and tests were ordered through a telemarketing scheme.
Young prescribed braces and genetic tests for over 13,000 Medicare beneficiaries, including undercover agents posing as different Medicare recipients, many of whom he did not see, speak to or treat. The false prescriptions he issued were then used by brace supply companies and laboratories to bill Medicare more than $70 million.
Young was paid approximately $475,000 in exchange for signing fraudulent prescriptions.
Young was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and three counts of false statements relating to health care matters, each of which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Young will be sentenced at a later date and faces up to 25 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the standard guidelines and factors.