When we think of fraud, we often think of large scale financial Ponzi schemes in which the perpetrator steals money from honest, hard-working individuals. But this stereotype is very rarely the case. When federal fraud charges arise, it is often due to accusations of behavior that is does not appear nearly as villainous.

The alleged underlying conduct may be misdating documents or failing to correctly account for expenses by your business. In one recent case, a radiologist was charged with a variety of fraud charges after allegedly allowing his medical assistance to review and report on x-rays and CT scans and then signing off on the final report to be provided to the hospitals.

Many hospitals in the Southeast do not have the capacity to always provide in-house radiology services. This radiologist’s business provided c overage for some of those hospitals. Earlier this year, the radiologist was convicted of health care fraud and several other charges for allegedly signing reports that were actually prepared by medical assistants.

Yesterday the radiologist was sentenced to four years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

As the experience of this radiologist demonstrates, charges of fraud can have severe consequences. If you are facing serious fraud charges, it is important to seek out an experienced Atlanta criminal defense attorney early on. Some of the most crucial factors that may determine the outcome of the case, particularly related to evidence, happen in the early stages of the process.

Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution, “Atlanta radiologist gets prison time for fraud,” Angel Brooks, Dec. 8, 2011