Former pain practice owner Atif Babar Malik, MD, was sentenced Sept. 11 to eight years in prison after being convicted of healthcare fraud and tax evasion, The Frederick News-Post reports.
Here are five details:
1. Dr. Malik, 49, ran Frederick, Md.-based Advanced Pain Management Services and was convicted of 25 counts related to kickbacks, fraudulent billing and tax evasion in 2017.
2. Dr. Malik's prison sentence is followed by three years of supervised probation. Dr. Malik must also pay a $75,000 fine, $175,000 in restitution and forfeit $241,976.
3. From 2011 to 2012, Dr. Malik and his business partners allegedly received more than $1.3 million in kickbacks for referring patients to Accu Reference medical lab, which billed Medicare and private insurers $4.4 million for urinalysis patients. The practice also allegedly engaged in false billing practices as early as January 2010.
4. Dr. Malik pleaded guilty to tax evasion for not reporting over $3.3 million in income to the IRS between 2009 and 2012.
5. Five other medical professionals were indicted on related charges, including Advanced Pain CEO Muhammad Khan. Mr. Khan is reportedly a fugitive. Charges were dropped for Advanced Pain co-owner Sandeep Sherlekar, MD, after he died in 2016.
"I'm sorry for what I did," Dr. Malik said in court. "The last eight months in the Chesapeake Detention Facility have made me realize what is important, like my family, my community. I want to correct my mistakes."