A former podiatrist who admitted to defrauding the health care system will not go to prison. Michael Akyuz of Greece was sentenced to five years probation despite stealing almost three-quarters of a million dollars.
U.S District Court Judge Charles Syragusa called it a unique, exceptional family circumstance that led him to impose a lesser sentence today.
The recommended sentence for his crimes was 41 to 51 months in prison, but 44-year-old Akyuz will not have to spend a day behind bars.
Akyuz admitted to health care fraud and mail fraud while he was a podiatrist. Over the course of five years, the former foot doctor tended to elderly patients in nursing homes and retirement communities. While he billed Medicare for complex expensive procedures, in reality, he did little more than clip their toe-nails.
The total cost to tax-payers was almost three-quarters of a million dollars.
Akyuz said he took the money to take care of his family's health care costs. He has four children with varying degrees of autism.
Akyuz will also have to make restitution.
Full Article and Source:
I Team 10 Update: Former Foot Doctor Avoids Prison
2 comments:
It's sad that he stole to support his disabled children, but disabled or not; you steal, you go!
How will he be able to pay restitution? Sounds like a judicial copout to me.
Probation? Oh, golly gee, what a harsh sentence - no prison cell? Soft on crime gives the example crime pays. Shameful.
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