In a shocking turn of events, Dr. Gautam Arora, a 44-year-old pain management specialist from Buffalo, New York, has pleaded guilty to unlawful prescription practices.
Arora, who worked at the Hens Pain Center in Amherst, New York, between April 2013 and May 2017, was accused of prescribing opioids, including hydrocodone, oxycodone, dextroamphetamine-amphetamine, and carisoprodol, to multiple patients outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel L. Violanti, Arora wrote approximately 61 prescriptions for controlled substances to individuals who were either not his patients or without first conducting a proper examination, verifying their medical condition, and assessing the risk of abuse by the individual patient.
The investigation revealed that Arora also engaged in a scheme to defraud a healthcare benefit program, by fraudulently billing Medicare for patient office visits totaling $92,209.50 between January 1 and March 31, 2016. Arora requested and received payment for medical services he did not perform or did not perform to the extent represented.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.
Arora is facing a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for June 18, 2021, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
The case highlights the growing concern of opioid abuse and the importance of cracking down on prescription practices that put patients at risk.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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