Louisville Doc Gets 48 Months for Opioid Scheme & Fraud

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A Louisville physician has been sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for recklessly prescribing opioids and defrauding Kentucky Medicaid, United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr. announced today. Dr. George Kudmani, 71, received the sentence from Chief District Judge Joseph H. McKinley, Jr. in United States District Court. Restitution and forfeiture amounts are still to be determined.

“Despite his physician’s oath to do no harm, Dr. George Kudmani recklessly prescribed opioids, for no legitimate medical purpose, to patients suffering from substance use disorders,” Kuhn stated. “I hope today’s sentence will bring some measure of closure to those patients and families harmed by Dr. Kudmani. I hope, too, this sentence will send a message to physicians that prescribing opioids outside the scope of legitimate medical care will be punished.”

Kudmani was convicted on January 26, 2017, following a seven-day jury trial, on nineteen counts of unlawfully distributing controlled substances and eight counts of health care fraud. The evidence showed Kudmani illegally distributed and dispensed Oxycodone (a Schedule II controlled substance) and Hydrocodone (a Schedule III controlled substance) between July 2009 and September 2012, operating far outside the bounds of legitimate medical practice.

The scheme wasn’t limited to opioids. Kudmani also defrauded Kentucky Medicaid (Passport) by falsely billing for medically unnecessary Transvaginal Ultrasounds (TVS), billing for TVSs that were *never* performed, and fabricating TVS reports. This fraudulent activity occurred between January 2009 and September 2012. For years, Kudmani operated an obstetrical and gynecological practice at 9702 Stonestreet Road, Louisville, Kentucky, without employing any other medically trained staff – a clear red flag.

Trial testimony revealed a disturbing pattern: a typical first-time patient paid $75 for a gynecological exam, then routinely paid $35 in cash during subsequent visits to receive a prescription for Schedule II-V controlled substances – often *without* a physical examination. Multiple patients testified they’d been paying cash for years to receive these prescriptions, raising serious questions about the “care” being provided. The prosecution painted a picture of a doctor motivated by profit, not patient well-being.

In addition to the 48-month prison sentence, Kudmani owes $2,600 in special penalties and will serve three years of supervised release. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph Ansari and Lettricea Jefferson-Webb, with assistance from paralegal Lori Cracknell, prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kentucky Medical Fraud Control Unit, and Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD). The court will determine the amount of money Kudmani will be required to forfeit and pay to victims as restitution in a later order.