BUFFALO, N.Y. — The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York announced Wednesday that a former Amherst pain management doctor has pleaded guilty to fraud.
According to the attorney's office, between April of 2013 and May of 2017, Dr. Gautam Arora, 44, formerly of Buffalo, had "prescribed opioids to multiple patients outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel L. Violanti says this occurred while Arora was working as a pain management doctor at the Hens Pain Center in Amherst.
Roughly 61 prescriptions for controlled substances were written by Arora to people who were either not his patients or without first conducting a proper examination, verifying the patient's medical condition and assessing their risk of abuse. Some of the opioids Arora prescribed included hydrocodone, oxycodone, dextroamphetamine-amphetamine and carisoprodol.
The U.S. Attorney's Office also states that Arora fraudulently billed Medicare $92,209.50 for patient office visits between January 1 and March 31, 2016. The attorney's office adds, "Arora requested and received payment for medical services he did not perform or did not perform to the extent represented."
Arora pleaded guilty to unlawfully acquiring controlled prescriptions by misrepresentation and fraud, as well as scheming to defraud a health care benefit program. These charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Arora will return to court for sentencing is June.
