Frank Purpera Jr., Health Care Fraud, Virginia 2023

Roanoke, VIRGINIA – A former Blacksburg doctor has been convicted of 60 federal offenses, including health care fraud, distribution of a controlled substance, and obstruction of justice. Frank Purpera Jr., 44, of Blacksburg, Va., was found guilty of all 60 counts for which he was charged.

The jury, after deliberating for an hour and a half, returned their verdict yesterday at the conclusion of a seven-day jury trial in U.S. District Court in Roanoke. United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, and Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced the conviction today.

The evidence presented at trial established that Purpera, for a period of approximately five years, wrote numerous prescriptions for Percocet and Adderall, both Schedule II controlled substances, in the name of his wife, who had a different last name, on multiple occasions. The prescriptions were not for legitimate medical purposes and were outside the scope of Purpera’s medical practice.

Additionally, Purpera falsified his medical records in an effort to defraud Medicare and Anthem Insurance. Medicare and Anthem paid claims to Purpera in excess of $6 Million. After a search warrant was executed at the Virginia Vein Institution in September 2016, Purpera told his employees to say, “I don’t recall” when questioned by federal investigators. To reiterate this point, Purpera showed an employee a video clip from the popular movie, “The Wolf of Wall Street,” in which numerous employees, when interviewed by federal law enforcement, say “I don’t recall, I don’t recall.”

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Virginia Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and an Investigator with the United States Attorney’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Jones and Randy Ramseyer, and Nicole Terry, a Special Assistant United States Attorney and an Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Virginia Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, prosecuted the case for the United States.

Purpera’s conviction included 56 counts of illegal distribution of a controlled substance, two counts of obstruction of justice, one count of health care fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. The exact date of the crime is not specified in the source, but the trial concluded on a day in 2023. The defendant currently awaits sentencing.

As a result of this conviction, Purpera will face the consequences of his actions. The community can rest assured that those who engage in such malicious activities will be held accountable.

In light of this conviction, it is essential to acknowledge the efforts of the investigators and prosecutors who worked tirelessly to bring the defendant to justice.

The case serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding the integrity of the healthcare system and the consequences of exploiting it for personal gain.

Defendant: Frank Purpera Jr.

Exact Charges: 56 counts of illegal distribution of a controlled substance, 2 counts of obstruction of justice, 1 count of health care fraud, and 1 count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

City and State: Roanoke, Virginia

Exact Date of Crime: Approximately 5 years prior to 2023

Sentence or Outcome: Currently awaits sentencing

Dollar Amounts: Excess of $6 Million

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdva/pr/blacksburg-doctor-convicted-60-federal-offenses-including-health-care-fraud