Anthony Dinh, MD, has been charged with committing multiple fraud schemes that resulted in false billings to federal programs and theft from federally funded pandemic programs, the Daily Pilot reported April 20.
Dr. Dinh allegedly submitted false claims for insured patients who were billed for services that either never occurred or were medically unnecessary. He faces up to 50 years in prison for these charges if convicted.
He was named as the second-highest biller in the country to the Health Resources and Services Administration COVID-19 Uninsured Program, which was designed to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus by providing access to uninsured patients for testing and treatment. The program also provided financial support to healthcare providers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by reimbursing them for services provided to uninsured individuals.
Dr. Dinh and his companies were paid more than $153 million through the program. He allegedly also used fraudulent proceeds for high-risk options trading and lost over $100 million from November 2020 through February 2022, according to court documents obtained by the Daily Pilot.
He is also charged along with his sister Hang Dinh, who federal authorities are currently seeking as a fugitive, and Matthew Ho, for allegedly submitting over 70 fraudulent loan applications under the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program and fraudulently obtaining over $3 million in loan funds, according to court documents obtained by the publication.
In the second case, Dr. Dinh is charged with healthcare fraud and two counts of wire fraud. Ms. Dinh and Mr. Ho are each charged with one count of wire fraud, according to the publication.