The CEO of SpineFrontier, Inc., Dr. Kingsley R. Chin, has admitted guilt in relation to false statements made to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This development was confirmed on May 15, 2025, when Dr. Chin pleaded guilty to one count of false statements connected to CMS's Open Payments Program.
SpineFrontier is a Massachusetts-based company that manufactures medical devices. As per the Physician Payment Sunshine Act, companies like SpineFrontier are obligated to report any payments or value transfers to physicians, including spine surgeons. These reports are accessible through the CMS's Open Payments website.
According to court documents, Dr. Chin instructed his staff to misreport fees paid to a surgeon as consulting fees without actual consulting work being done. Specifically, a payment of $4,750 on January 19, 2016, was falsely reported as "consulting" despite the lack of genuine consulting services rendered by the surgeon.
The charge of making false statements can result in up to five years in prison and three years of supervised release along with a fine up to $250,000. Sentencing will be determined based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani on August 6, 2025.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley along with officials from several federal agencies including Roberto Coviello from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of Inspector General and Kimberly Milka from the FBI's Boston Division among others. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abraham R. George, Christopher R. Looney and Mackenzie A. Queenin are handling the prosecution.
