Related Federal Cases
- Ted Albin, Medicare Scam Mastermind, New York NY, 2023 · Florida
- Veres Duo Pleads Guilty in $600K Tax Fraud Scam · Alabama
- Dual Citizen Pleads Guilty in $12M Wire Fraud Scam · Texas
- David H. Stewart Sentenced in $4.2M Internet Gambling Scam · Alabama
- Leonforte, Burstein Guilty in $7.5M Internet Pharmacy Scam · Alabama
Mesh Scam Doctors Face the Music
Two doctors have pleaded guilty to their roles in a massive bribery and kickback scheme that targeted women undergoing transvaginal mesh removal surgeries.
The scam, which took place across the United States, involved the payment of bribes and kickbacks to obtain referrals of female patients for the costly procedures. The scheme exploited the fact that women who had their TVM implants surgically removed were entitled to receive larger settlements than those whose inserts remained implanted.
Christopher Walker, a 49-year-old urogynecologist from Windermere, Florida, pleaded guilty to participating in the scheme in federal court in Brooklyn. Wesley Blake Barber, 51, a Detroit-based owner of Surgical Assistance Inc., had already pleaded guilty on September 14, 2021.
According to court filings and facts presented at the plea proceeding, Barber and Walker sought to profit from lawsuits filed throughout the United States relating to alleged harm caused by TVM implants. They paid kickbacks and bribes to Barber in exchange for the referral of female patients for the surgeries, including those who traveled across the country to undergo the procedures.
When sentenced, Walker faces up to 10 years in prison and has agreed to forfeit approximately $800,000. Barber faces up to 5 years in prison and has agreed to forfeit approximately $1.1 million.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Geddes and Sarah Evans, along with Trial Attorney Andrew Estes of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
The guilty pleas were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr., and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
