IT’S ALL ABOUT MAKING MONEY –
March 10, 2022 – Authorities described the clinics as “pill mills” and said they were frequented by people suffering from addictions and drug dealers seeking high-dosage prescription drugs like oxycodone.The injections were selected because they were among the highest reimbursing procedures, rather than based on medical need. Some patients developed adverse conditions, including open holes in their backs.
“Evidence further established that the defendant physicians repeatedly performed these unnecessary injections on patients over several years,” the Justice Department said in a release. Francisco Patino, a doctor and part owner of the clinics, used proceeds from the fraud on jewelry, cars, vacations and to pay mixed martial arts fighters to promote a specialized diet program, it added.
His business partner, Mashiyat Rashid, paid for private jet flights, courtside tickets to the NBA Finals and real estate, while other doctors used the money on luxury cars, gold bars, and even indoor basketball courts and swimming pools.
