Falmouth doctor Joel A. Sabean, 69, is going down for a multi-million-dollar fraud and drug scheme that spanned nearly a decade. After a two-week federal trial, a jury found Sabean guilty of five counts of tax evasion, 52 counts of drug distribution for other than legitimate purposes, and one count of health care fraud. The verdict, handed down in U.S. District Court in Portland, Maine, ends a long fall from grace for the once-respected physician.
The scam began as early as 2007 and ran through 2014, according to court records. Sabean orchestrated a web of deception by funneling over $2.3 million to a relative in Florida, who in turn generated fake medical bills. These fraudulent documents were used to claim approximately $3 million in phony medical expenses on his federal income tax returns from 2008 through 2012 — a move that stripped taxpayers of rightful revenue and cheated the IRS at every turn.
But the fraud didn’t stop there. Sabean exploited his medical license to write invalid prescriptions for controlled and non-controlled substances. These were issued in the names of his relatives — including one who was not his patient — and without any legitimate medical examination. The drugs were often reimbursed by his own insurance provider, despite the fact that the insurer did not cover the named individuals. It was a brazen abuse of trust, the kind that turns medicine into a weapon.
The prescriptions weren’t just paperwork tricks — they were criminal acts. By distributing drugs without a legitimate medical purpose, Sabean violated federal law and endangered public safety. Each of the 52 drug distribution counts reflects a deliberate, calculated betrayal of his oath as a physician. Instead of healing, he trafficked. Instead of helping, he profited.
Now, Sabean faces the consequences. On the tax evasion charges, he could spend up to five years behind bars and pay a $100,000 fine. The drug distribution counts each carry a maximum of five years and a $250,000 fine. The single count of health care fraud exposes him to up to ten years in prison and another $250,000 penalty. Sentencing will come only after the U.S. Probation Office completes a presentence investigation report.
This case was cracked open by a joint investigation led by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Portsmouth (NH) Tactical Diversion Squad. No longer shielded by a white coat or a medical degree, Dr. Joel A. Sabean now stands exposed — not as a healer, but as a criminal who used his position to loot, lie, and distribute drugs under the guise of care.
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Key Facts
- State: Maine
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime|Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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