An Arizona man had been sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for defrauding the medical practice where he worked, prosecutors announced.
In addition to the prison sentence, Jose Andres Lopez was sentenced to seven years of supervised release and ordered to pay $45,000 in restitution, according to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
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According to prosecutors, Lopez previously pled guilty to fraudulent schemes and artifices, as well as second-degree money laundering.
“My office has one of the best health care fraud and abuse divisions in the country,” Attorney General Kris Mayes said in the Wednesday announcement. “I’m proud of the work they did on this case to uncover the fraud and illegal actions of this medical employee and their relentless effort to ensure Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) dollars and other health care spending in Arizona is protected from waste, fraud and abuse.”
How did Lopez defraud the medical practice where he worked?
Lopez worked at a medical facility in Mohave County between June 2017 and March 2021.
Lopez rose to the position of office manager while working at the clinic. The role allowed him access to the doctor’s login details for managing electronic records and the prescription system.
According to prosecutors, Lopez used his access to buy illicit prescriptions for himself and another employee on several occasions in 2020 and 2021.
Furthermore, between February and December 2020, Lopez allegedly altered patient visit records to make it appear that he was receiving physical therapy from the doctor when he was not.
The false visit records were then submitted to two insurance companies for personal injury claims that Lopez filed blaming a car accident. Because of the falsified records, the insurance companies had to pay Lopez at least $45,000 to resolve his personal injury claims.
Prosecutors added that Lopez was previously sentenced by the Maricopa County Superior Court in 2022 for giving false information to the AHCCCS to get healthcare services for himself. In that case, Lopez was ordered to repay AHCCCS.
