A Florida judge sent Dominican ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen to jail yesterday, Thursday 16 April 2015, after establishing that he was a flight risk in a Medicare fraud case. Assistant US Attorney Carolyn Bell said that the extradition agreement with the Dominican Republic would not apply in a case of healthcare fraud. Melgen is accused of falsely diagnosing patients with serious eye conditions in order to perform unnecessary and costly procedures for which he would bill Medicare.
Melgen has pleaded not guilty in the case.
The case is linked to that of his close friend, New Jersey senator Bob Menendez, recently indicted for corruption in office.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/04/16/us/ap-us-menendez-probe-doctor.html?_r=0
http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/04/are_the_dittoheads_really_this_dumb_watch_how_limb.html