N.C. Doctor Pleads Guilty To Health Care Fraud

June 25--A Huntersville doctor who prosecutors said hid $2.4 million in income to build an 8,000-square-foot home on Lake Norman, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to health care fraud and tax fraud.

Mark Tuan Le, an internal medicine physician and former owner of Northcross Medical Center, admitted billing health insurers for services that were never performed and evading over $800,000 in taxes in 2009 and 2010, U.S. Attorney Anne Tompkins said.

On Tuesday, Le voluntarily surrendered his license to practice medicine to the N.C. Medical Board.

Earlier this month, Le, 55, of Huntersville also agreed to pay $6.2 million to the United States to settle civil fraud allegations that he and his medical center defrauded Medicare and Medicaid by submitting claims for medically unnecessary diagnostic tests and procedures, Tompkins said.

The settlement is the largest against a doctor in the federal court's Charlotte-based Western District, Tompkins said.

Le pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Cayer to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, seven counts of health care fraud and one count of tax evasion.

At sentencing, Le faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the health care fraud and up to five years and a $250,000 fine for the tax evasion.

As part of his plea agreement, Le agreed to pay full restitution to Medicare, Medicaid, private insurers and to the IRS for any losses. The final restitution amount will be determined at Le's sentencing hearing, which hasn't been scheduled.

Le, who is free on bond, couldn't be reached Wednesday.

"Illegal schemes like this one waste tax dollars and divert funds that are supposed to go toward needed medical care," N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper said. "Our investigators and attorneys will continue to work closely with federal officials to fight health care fraud and recover the public's money."

According to court documents and statements, Le and unnamed others defrauded Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurers from at least 2009 to 2013 by submitting false claims.

Le owned and operated Northcross Medical Center and employed numerous family members at that practice and related businesses, prosecutors said.

Le most frequently claimed to have performed treatments on his or his employees' relatives when those treatments were never performed, court records show. The supposed treatments were for removing hemorrhoids.

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