Lawrence B. Iken, Health Care Fraud, Missouri 2024

St. Louis Podiatrist Sentenced to Prison on Health Care Fraud Charges

LAWRENCE B. IKEN, DPM, a local podiatrist, has been sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $999,170 on charges of health care fraud. The crimes involved the submission of false documents and reimbursement claims related to podiatric services purportedly provided by Dr. Iken from 2006 through July 2014.

Dr. Iken's company, Iken LLC, was sentenced to two years of probation on the same charges. As part of his plea in January, Dr. Iken agreed to a money judgment of $999,170, which represents the amount of reimbursement that he and his company received for the false health care claims.

In addition to the prison sentence, Dr. Iken was ordered to pay restitution of $999,170. This amount represents the total reimbursement received for the false claims submitted by Dr. Iken and his company. Dr. Iken's company, Iken LLC, was also sentenced to two years of probation.

The investigation revealed that Dr. Iken submitted false claims for payment for podiatric services that were not provided. The claims were submitted to Medicare and Missouri Medicaid. Dr. Iken and his company, Iken LLC, paid the United States $748,279 to resolve allegations under the federal False Claims Act.

Dr. Iken, a sole practitioner, operated his podiatry practice at offices in Manchester and Creve Coeur, MO. He also provided services to nursing home residents on Wednesdays and Thursdays as an independent contractor for Preferred Podiatry Group, Inc. (PPG).

In his plea, Dr. Iken admitted to billing Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies for the incision and drainage of abscesses and hematomas, when he actually only clipped the toenails of the patients. Dr. Iken appeared in court today for sentencing before United States District Judge Ronnie L. White. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services-Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Assistant United States Attorneys Dorothy McMurtry and Suzanne Moore handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Dr. Iken, of Chesterfield, Missouri, and his company each pled guilty in January to one felony count of healthcare fraud. This case is a reminder of the importance of honest business practices in the healthcare industry.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmo/pr/local-podiatrist-sentenced-health-care-fraud-charges