A federal jury in Illinois convicted Chicago resident Mark Sorensen for participating in a conspiracy to pay approximately $25 million in illegal kickbacks to generate business for his durable medical equipment pharmacy, the US Justice Department said on Friday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2023) A Federal jury in Illinois convicted Chicago resident Mark Sorensen for participating in a conspiracy to pay approximately $25 million in illegal kickbacks to generate business for his durable medical equipment pharmacy, the US Justice Department said on Friday.
"Mark Sorensen, 53, worked at Symed, a Chicago pharmacy that paid illegal kickbacks to obtain patients to bill to Medicare, TRICARE and the Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP)," the Justice Department said in a press release.
Between 2015 and 2018, Sorensen illegally bought patient leads from Bernie Perconti, who obtained them from others, including Christine Anderson and Craig O'Neil, the release said.
"Without the involvement of the Symed, the conspirators could not have submitted claims to obtain reimbursement from Medicare or other federal health care benefit programs," the release said.
Perconti, O'Neil and Anderson each pleaded guilty to being involved in a conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks in 2019, July 2020 and January 2021, respectively, and are awaiting sentencing, the release added.
Sorensen was convicted of one count of conspiracy and three counts of payment of illegal kickbacks and faces a maximum of five years behind bars on each count if he is convicted, according to the release.
