He gave the auditor fake records designed to support the medical necessity of Medicare claims, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

TAMPA – A Dunedin psychologist is facing prison after pleading guilty to hindering a Medicare audit, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.

Charles Gerardi, 76, of Dunedin, pleaded guilty to obstructing a Medicare audit. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

According to the plea agreement, in 2012, a federal Medicare auditor performed an audit of Gerardi’s employer related to 350 claims, and more than 2,300 individual services that Gerardi had purportedly performed. In response to the audit request, Gerardi provided the auditor with a series of fabricated records, which were designed to fraudulently support the medical necessity of the claims. Gerardi knew that the claims under review were not otherwise supportable, and fabricated the records for the purpose of impeding the auditor’s performance of the audit.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General.

U.S. Attorney | Crime | Medicare | Tampabay News

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