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RALEIGH, NC (WTVD) — A Raleigh doctor was found guilty of reusing “unsanitary” single-use instruments on unsuspecting patients during surgery, the Justice Department said Friday.

The United States Attorney’s Office said Anita Louise Jackson was charged with conspiracy to defraud and misappropriate medical devices for use by patients, tampering with medical and health care records, fraudulent payments, mail fraud and conspiracy.

Jackson, a Greater Carolina ear, nose and throat practice with offices in Raleigh, Lumberton and Rockingham, was convicted on 20 counts after a three-week federal jury trial.

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In the year Between 2011 and 2017, she used equipment to perform balloon sinusoplasty, an in-office procedure to treat chronic sinusitis, during more than 1,400 surgeries for Medicare patients. Jackson used an FDA-approved device called Intel XpressS. One patient had to be discharged during and after one operation.

The numbers simply don’t add up—despite running the process more than a thousand times, Jackson says he only received a maximum of 36 new Intel devices between 2012 and 2017.

“This doctor puts profit before patients, lures Medicare patients with free ‘sinus spas’ and exposes his patients to disease by repeatedly using the same surgical instruments,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. District of North Carolina. “If we allow doctors to pay Medicare to pay their profits by performing unsupported medical procedures – each and every American taxpayer will bear the cost. But the harm is felt most by the victim-patients and older Americans on Medicare. They have a right to quality care: Jackson’s indifference to the health of her patients is widely recognized.” Federal charges led to her conviction.

Evidence released during the investigation showed that Jackson did not inform her patients that they were being treated with defective equipment, and during questioning said she had enough money to buy new equipment for each patient but was unwilling to do so. in order to.

Federal prosecutors allege that between 2014 and 2018, Jackson used her practice to bill Medicare more than $46 million for balloon sinuplasty procedures and earned more than $4.79 million from Medicare for these surgeries alone.

“The FDA remains committed to aggressively pursuing those who deviate from the standards of use required for medical devices,” said Justin C. Fielder, special agent in charge of the Miami Field Office of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigation. “We are proactive in our efforts to protect consumers from potentially dangerous products.”

Jackson was found guilty of 10 counts. In doing so, Jackson entices her patients to come to the office for a “free” sinus spa and receive treatments they don’t need or agree to if the full out-of-pocket cost is disclosed to the patient. .

She also wrote off or otherwise hid the full cost of the procedure on any bills sent to patients after their visits, which could be as much as $1,500 for Medicare beneficiaries, authorities said.

Jackson is charged with three counts of embezzlement of health care benefits, two counts of aggravated identity theft and three counts of mail fraud.

“It is deeply concerning when fraudsters exploit vulnerable Medicare enrollees and defraud federal health care programs for their own personal gain,” said Tamala E. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General at the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Jackson faces 20 years for mail fraud, 10 years for illegal payment, five years for conspiracy and making false statements, and three years for adultery with intent to defraud or mislead. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year prison sentence, which is consecutive to any other sentence.

Jackson faces more than $250,000 in fines and the jury ordered $4,794,039.31 in forfeiture.

There is still a federal civil lawsuit against Jackson.

— Featured video from previous report —

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