A New York-based national sales director, David Fuhrmann, admitted Wednesday to participating in a conspiracy to pay kickbacks in exchange for medically unnecessary brain scans. The scheme, which defrauded Medicare of more than $70 million, was revealed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Fuhrmann, 60, of Port Jefferson, New York, pled guilty in federal court in Boston to one count of conspiring to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. Court documents detailed that from at least June 2013 to September 2020, Fuhrmann collaborated with others, including two managers from a mobile medical diagnostics company, to offer kickbacks to physicians in exchange for ordering transcranial doppler (TCD) scans.
As part of the scheme, Fuhrmann and his co-conspirators paid doctors based on the number of TCD ultrasounds they ordered. Payments were made in cash or by check. In an effort to hide the fraudulent nature of the payments, the group used sham rental and administrative service agreements that falsely indicated physicians were paid for space and services at fair market value.
These fake contracts were designed to mask the per-scan payments as legitimate business arrangements. As a result of their actions, approximately $70.6 million in fraudulent claims were submitted to Medicare.
Fuhrmann’s guilty plea to conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing will be determined by a federal judge according to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
This case highlights the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to combat healthcare fraud and ensure accountability for those who abuse the system.
