A Boston doctor has been charged with orchestrating a Medicare fraud scheme, with court documents revealing an agreement to plead guilty to the charges. Dr. Le Thu, aged 69, is accused of defrauding the Medicare system out of some $35.5 million by falsely claiming she provided genetic testing services that were never actually rendered to patients. According to official documents, the scheme spanned from March 2017 through November 2020 and involved submitting fraudulent medical documentation and orders for unnecessary genetic testing.
The specifics of the allegations state that Dr. Thu signed, or caused unqualified individuals to sign, order forms falsely indicating she had consulted with patients and would utilize the genetic test results for their treatment. In reality, the patients had not been seen or assessed by Thu—nor had they been provided any medical services relevant to the testing orders. One laboratory billed Medicare about $5,368 for a single fraudulent order, while another was billed over $24,052, revealed the charging documents obtained by the Justice Department.
Through these false orders, Dr. Thu is alleged to have caused third-party laboratories to submit roughly $35.3 million in claims to Medicare, out of which about $25.3 million was actually paid. Each charge of making false statements relating to health care matters can carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines up to $250,000 or double the amount of the pecuniary gain or loss.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley, FBI Boston Division’s Acting Special Agent in Charge James Crowley, and Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello announced the charges. Howard Locker, Assistant U.S. Attorney of the Health Care Fraud Unit, is prosecuting the case. While the details shared are still allegations, and Dr. Thu's guilt has yet to be proven in court, the implications of this case are significant for the integrity of healthcare systems and the protection of public funds. The plea hearing date was not yet scheduled by the Court.
