Feds: Black Doctor Faces Prison After Circulating Unsanitary Equipment on Surgical Patients

Seems like patients are going to have to start monitoring their doctors to make sure they’re using clean materials.

Anita Louise Jackson, an ear, nose, and throat doctor in Raleigh, North Carolina, is facing a maximum 20-year prison sentence after being found guilty of allegedly reusing unsanitary surgical equipment on multiple patients.

According to 6 ABC, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Jackson was charged after authorities found she was circulating 36 Entellus XprESS devices to perform more than 1,400 balloon sinuplasty procedures, while the devices were only permitted by the FDA for use on one patient.

“This doctor put profit ahead of patients, luring in Medicare patients with free ‘sinus spas’ and risking infection to those patients by reusing the same single-use surgical devices on them again and again,” said Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Jackson operated offices in Raleigh, Lumberton, and Rockingham.

“If we allow doctors to bilk Medicare to pad their profits by performing unsupported medical procedures — each and every American taxpayer eats the cost,” Easley added. “Jackson’s blatant disregard for her patients’ health has led to her conviction on multiple federal charges.”

Federal prosecutors also found that Jackson was using her practices to bill medicare over $46 million for the surgeries. Jackson allegedly netted over $4.79 million from Medicare for the balloon sinuplasty procedures alone.

“The FDA continues in its commitment to aggressively pursue those who deviate from required standards of use for medical devices,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder at the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office. “We will remain vigilant in our efforts to protect consumers from potentially dangerous products.”

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

Jackson is facing a 20-year maximum prison sentence after a three-week-long federal jury trial convicted her on 20 counts: 10 for paying illegal remunerations, five for conspiracy and false statements, three for adulteration with the intent to defraud or mislead, and two for aggravated identity theft.

The jury ordered Jackson to pay $250,000 in fines and forfeit $4,794,039.31.