An orthopedic surgeon who was convicted as part of a $31 million fraud scheme won his appeal to undo an order requiring him to pay nearly $316,000 in restitution.
Lawrence Alexander, MD, was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison for his role in a $31 million Medicare fraud scheme in April 2023. He and chiropractor Dean Zusmer owned a durable medical equipment company that billed more than $31 million for medically unnecessary products to Medicare.
Dr. Alexander’s sentence included $315,704.52 in restitution, according to a court document filed March 24 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. But he no longer owes restitution since the government failed to prove that Medicare relied on alleged false statements in paying claims, the court opinion said.
Dr. Alexander’s conviction and prison sentence remained affirmed.
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