Accepting Dr. Weinberger’s guilty plea to all counts, U.S. District Court Judge Philip Simon sentenced him to 84 months in prison for billing insurance companies for medical procedures that were not performed. The sentence is roughly twice what U.S. probation officials recommended, but Judge Simon cited the magnitude of Dr. Weinberger’s crimes.
The former surgeon, nicknamed “The Nose Doctor,” also faces roughly 358 complaints filed with Indiana’s malpractice review board, according to a Chicago Tribune report. Witnesses have previously testified that Dr. Weinberger often performed six surgeries or more a day, three days of week, to fund a lavish lifestyle.
Dr. Weinberger disappeared from his yacht off the coast of Greece in 2004. He left his wife, federal investigation, Chicago home, debt and former patients behind. He was arrested five years later when Italian authorities found him camping in the foothills of the Alps.
More Articles on Healthcare Fraud:
Judge Denies Plea Deal for Chicago “Nose Doctor” Mark Weinberger
GAO: Hospitals Most Common Subjects in Civil Healthcare Fraud Investigations
Medicare Unit Indicts 91 People for $429M in Alleged False Billing
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