Former Missouri lawmaker gets prison for fraud

A former Missouri lawmaker was sentenced to six years and three months in prison without parole for separate COVID-19 and healthcare fraud schemes of $900,000 and $200,000, respectively. 

Patricia Derges, 64, was sentenced after being found guilty in 2022 of 10 counts of wire fraud, 10 counts of distributing drugs over the internet without a valid prescription, and two counts of making false statements to a federal law enforcement agent, according to a Feb. 28 Justice Department news release.

The healthcare fraud scheme involved making false claims about a fake stem cell treatment market through clinics she owned, according to the release. The stem cell treatment utilized amniotic fluid that did not contain stem cells. She also illegally provided prescription drugs to clients of those clinics. 

She surrendered her assistant physician's license in June after being found guilty, according to the release. 

Ms. Derges was also ordered to pay $500,600 in restitution to her victims. 

She served one term in the Missouri House of Representatives after being elected in November 2020, according to the release. 

 

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