Tennessee doctor sentenced in health care fraud case

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Aug. 26 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, Henry C. Leventis, issued the following news release on Aug. 25, 2023:

Dr. Samson K. Orusa, 61, of Clarksville, Tennessee, was sentenced yesterday to 84 months in federal prison after being convicted of over a dozen felony health care fraud charges, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee.

The defendant, through his medical clinic in Clarksville, billed federal health insurance programs for hundreds of medically unnecessary services, including unnecessary office visits and steroid injections. The evidence at trial showed that he required Medicare beneficiaries and other patients to visit his clinic as many as six times each month and to undergo unnecessary steroid injections in order to obtain their prescriptions. The evidence also showed that the defendant altered progress visit notes in his patients' medical records to justify higher billing rates.

"Combating health care fraud is a top priority for this office," said United States Attorney Leventis. "As a result of the excellent work done in this case by our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, this physician will now be serving 7 years in federal prison for defrauding the Medicare program."

The defendant was charged in 2018 with 45 criminal violations, including 13 counts of health care fraud. He was convicted at trial of all charges except for nine counts of illegal distribution of oxycodone. Yesterday's sentencing concerned only the health care fraud crimes charged in the indictment.

In addition to the 84-month prison sentence, the defendant was ordered to pay over $1 million in restitution and serve three years of supervised release. He was also fined $195,000 and must forfeit previously seized assets worth approximately $900,000.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; the Clarksville Police Department; and the 19th Judicial District Drug Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie N. Toussaint and Miller A. Bushong prosecuted this case.

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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdtn/pr/clarksville-doctor-sentenced-health-care-fraud-case