75-year-old doctor convicted in pharmacy kickback scheme
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A scheme that cost Medicare and Medicaid nearly $2 million led to the conviction of a 75-year-old doctor who worked in Detroit but now lives in Las Vegas.
Dr. Eduardo Abellana was convicted on Wednesday by a federal grand jury of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States and receive kickbacks. He was accused of referring unnecessary prescriptions to a Detroit pharmacy for patients that he never treated. In exchange, Abellana received cash kickbacks from the owners of City Drugs, according to a news release from the U.S. Justice Department.
Documents in the case do not provide details on when Abellana relocated to Las Vegas and whether he has ever practiced medicine in Nevada.
Abellana is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 25, facing a maximum of 10 years in prison on the fraud count and five years on the kickbacks count.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Detroit Field Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
