Alabama Doctor Charged With $6 Million Telemedicine Health Care Fraud Scheme

BOSTON—An Alabama-based doctor has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with an alleged $6 million telemedicine fraud scheme involving medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME) and genetic testing primarily used to detect mutations in genes that could indicate a higher risk of developing certain types of cancers.

Tommie Robinson, 43, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of health care fraud, according to the court. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the court.

According to the charging documents, between December 2018 and March 2021, Robinson allegedly worked with telemedicine companies to sign medical documentation, including doctors’ orders, for medically unnecessary DME and genetic testing. It is alleged that these orders signed by Robinson were pre-populated based on telemarketing calls made to Medicare beneficiaries, that Robinson never had any contact with the beneficiaries himself and had no medical relationship with the patients. DME suppliers and laboratories ultimately submitted claims to Medicare for these signed orders. As a result of Robinson’s alleged participation in this scheme, over $6 million in claims were allegedly submitted to Medicare for DME and genetic testing that were medically unnecessary, based on false documentation and tainted by kickbacks.  

The charge of health care fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, supervised release for up to three years, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss, whichever is greater.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.