A Bingham Farms doctor faces 20 years in federal prison for his role in a multi-million-dollar health care fraud scheme and the illegal distribution of controlled substances, including opioids, the Department of Justice reported recently.
David Jankowski, 62, was convicted of 30 of 32 charges by a federal jury in Detroit on July 11, the DOJ announced at the time. Jankowski operated Summit Medical Group, with purported medical clinics in Dearborn Heights and Southfield Mich., according to the DOJ. Jankowski was found guilty of writing "medically unnecessary" prescriptions and receiving nearly $35 million from fraudulent health insurance claims, the DOJ reports.
Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office James A. Tarasca, said in the report that Jankowski "exploited vulnerable patients and the health care system by prescribing and billing for medically unnecessary prescription medications."
"By doing so," Tarasca said, "he violated his oath to do no harm, and defrauded health care insurance programs. This type of crime puts patients at risk and makes medical care more costly for all of us.”
Prosecutors presented evidence showing Jankowski received cash from "patient recruiters" who brought people to his practice to whom Jankowski would prescribe opioids, including Oxycontin, Oxycodone, morphine, hydrocodone, and Xanax. Jankowski attracted patients to his clinics with the access to the drugs and then involved them in defrauding public and private health care programs, according to the DOJ.
Many of these patients had no need for the drugs," the report states. "Instead, the controlled substances were sold on the streets to feed the addictions of opioid addicts."
“The improper distribution of prescription drugs outside the course of ordinary medical practice causes significant harm,” U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said in the DOJ report. “It is in everyone’s best interests to keep these highly addictive substances off the street, and it is particularly disturbing when a trusted physician is the vehicle for the illegal distribution of opioids.”
Jankowski was convicted of submitting fraudulent insurance claims to Medicaid, Medicare, auto insurance companies and private health insurers, and receiving more than$6 million from Medicaid and Medicare, and $29.3 million from the auto and private insurance companies, according to the report.
The investigation into Jankowski was conducted by the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHS), according to the report.
“Doctors and other medical providers engaged in the over-prescribing of opioids for profit places patients at risk and underscores the significance of this investigation,” Mario Pinto, DHS special agent in charge, said in the report. “In conjunction with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to work to protect beneficiaries and investigate fraudulent conduct related to our Federal health care programs.”
