Florida Doctor Tied to Menendez Convicted of Medicare Fraud
- Melgen purposely conducted unnecessary tests, pricey treatment
- Eye doctor faces separate bribery trial with N.J. senator
Salomon Melgen, right, arrives at Newark Federal Court on April 2, 2015, in Newark, N.J.
Photographer: John Minchillo/AP PhotoA South Florida eye doctor who is accused of paying bribes to New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez was convicted in a separate case of defrauding Medicare of tens of millions of dollars. His conviction raises the possibility that the physician may try to help prosecutors in their case against the lawmaker.
Salomon Melgen, 62, was convicted Friday of dozens of counts of health-care fraud in federal court in West Palm Beach. Prosecutors said he purposely misdiagnosed elderly patients, most of them with a type of macular degeneration, and then conducted unnecessary invasive tests and provided expensive treatments. Prosecutors said a large portion of $105 million he billed to Medicare from 2004 to 2013 was fraudulent.