Former BG cardiologist sentenced to 96 months in prison

fred-gott-02-06
fred-gott-02-06

Former Bowling Green cardiologist, Dr. Fred Gott, has been sentenced in federal court to 96 months in prison on multiple charges of unlawful dispensing of controlled substances and health care fraud.

The 66-year-old Gott pled guilty to the charges on February 5.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Gott admitted to conspiring with members of his office and others to knowingly and intentionally distribute and dispense, not for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice, Schedule II, Schedule III and Schedule IV controlled substances.

Included are 14 counts of unlawfully dispensing Methadone and Fentanyl (Schedule II controlled substances), Hydrocodone (Schedule III) and Clonazepam and Oxymorphone (Schedule IV) between June 10, 2010 and September 19, 2013.

Further, between 2006 and September 19, 2013, Gott admitted to falsely and fraudulently billing various health care benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, among others, by submitting claims for office visits at a higher code than the service actually provided for patients under his care.

During that same period, Gott falsely and fraudulently billed various health care benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, among others, by submitting claims for medically unnecessary spirometry tests for patients and electrocardiogram (EKG/ECG) tests for patients.

Gott is further subject to forfeiture to the United States government of any and all proceeds derived from his unlawful activity and forfeiture of his license to practice medicine, according to officials.

(Photo courtesy of the Bowling Green Daily News)

By Ken Howlett, News Director

Contact Ken at ken@k105.com or 270-259-6000