A Strong Legal Defense Team For Physicians Facing Criminal Allegations
Facing a criminal accusation is a daunting experience for anyone – particularly when you are a physician whose reputation and livelihood are on the line. Your freedom, your medical license, and your professional standing are all in jeopardy. A robust legal defense is essential for protecting yourself from the harsh consequences of a conviction.
At Fishwick & Associates PLC in Roanoke, our team can stand by you and develop a vigorous defense strategy. With over 85 combined years of experience, our defense lawyers have honed their skills in federal courtrooms in Virginia.
Common Criminal Charges That Physicians Face
Doctors can find themselves accused of various criminal charges, including financial crimes involving fraud. Our attorneys frequently defend health care professionals against white-collar charges such as:
- Accepting bribes/kickbacks in exchange for prescribing medications or treatments
- Pharmaceutical fraud
- Fraudulent billing for Medicare or Medicaid, including:
- Double billing: Submitting duplicate claims for a single service
- Phantom billing: Submitting claims for a service that was never provided
- Unbundling: Submitting multiple claims for a service that should be billed as a single procedure
- Upcoding: Submitting a claim for a more expensive service than the patient actually received
- Prescribing a controlled substance without a legitimate medical purpose
The penalties for any of these offenses can be severe, often involving hefty fines and jail time. Additionally, these charges frequently fall under federal jurisdiction, making them even more challenging.
The Value Of Having A Former Federal Prosecutor On Your Team
Our lead defense attorney, John Fishwick, is a former federal prosecutor. He offers a unique and valuable perspective on the federal court system. Having been on the other side, he understands the strategies that the prosecution may employ. He uses that knowledge to anticipate and defend against the prosecution’s strategies.
Are You Under Investigation?
It is crucial to have legal counsel as soon as you learn that you are under investigation, even before charges are filed. Our lawyers can conduct an exhaustive investigation into the potential charges with the goal of preventing them from being filed in the first place.
Let Us Answer Your Questions
At a time like this, you need fearless, high-caliber legal counsel. If you are a physician facing a criminal allegation, please contact us today at 540-643-9772 to learn more about how we can protect you.