CHARLOTTE, N.C. (June 24, 2022)—A Charlotte, North Carolina, doctor is facing federal charges for her role in a durable medical equipment (DME) scheme that defrauded federal benefits programs of more than $11 million, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Sudipta Mazumder, 46, of Charlotte, is charged with one count of health care fraud and six counts of making false statements relating to health care matters.
Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General for the region including North Carolina, join U.S. Attorney King in making the announcement.
According to allegations contained in the indictment, during 2019 and 2020, Mazumder was a doctor in Charlotte who worked as an independent contractor for a Delaware-based telemedicine company. During the relevant time frame, Mazumder allegedly signed fraudulent orders for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment, specifically knee braces, resulting in the submission of thousands of fraudulent reimbursement claims to Medicare and TRICARE totaling approximately $11,436,873. The indictment alleges that Mazumder falsely stated in those orders that she performed medical examinations of Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries and falsely certified that the braces were medically necessary.
According to allegations in the indictment, contrary to her claims, Mazumder never examined the Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries. Instead, Mazumder allegedly had little or no interaction with the beneficiaries and made no medical determination whether the devices were medically necessary or the beneficiaries needed the DME. Mazumder received from the telemedicine company unsigned orders for orthopedic braces for the beneficiaries, which she signed and returned to the telemedicine company in exchange for $20 for each purported assessment that she performed.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The health care fraud charge carries a maximum prison term of 10 years and a $250,000 fine. The charge of making false statements relating to health care matters carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, per count.
Mazumder’s initial appearance has been scheduled for July 12, 2022, in federal court in Charlotte.
The investigation was handled by the FBI and HHS-OIG with the assistance of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service of the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Billings of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
