Former New Hampshire doctor pleads guilty in $1.9 million Medicare fraud scheme

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CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A former New Hampshire doctor has pleaded guilty to authorizing orders for medically unnecessary knee, wrist and back braces that were used by companies to submit more than $1.9 million in false Medicare claims.

Steven Powell, 53, of Alpharetta, Georgia, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of health care fraud. He's scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 30.

Prosecutors said he agreed to electronically sign orders for the medical equipment for companies that submitted the fraudulent claims to Medicare. He received kickbacks for the orders, which were not legitimately prescribed.

Medicare paid the equipment providers more than $761,000 in connection with the claims, according to Powell's plea agreement filed in federal court.

The plea agreement recommends a sentence of a little under four years in prison and that Powell pay the money back.