Two Dallas pain management doctors pleaded guilty Tuesday in a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud health insurance companies by giving patients fake injections.
Twin brothers Deno Barroga and Desi Barroga admitted to submitting claims for corticosteroid injections they never administered. Each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, according to court documents.As part of the scheme, the Barrogas required patients to visit their office monthly to receive pain management drugs, including hydrocodone, oxycodone, and morphine.
Following the visits, the doctors created fake medical records, often cut and pasted or cloned from patient to patient with little to no variation, court documents say. They also instructed patients to include false statements about the injections and other treatments in the record.In plea papers, the brothers said they billed Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and United Healthcare some $45 million and pocketed at least $9 million between early 2016 and late 2022.
As part of their plea agreement, the brothers agreed to forfeit their medical licenses at least 14 days before sentencing. They also agreed to pay restitution, which the court will set at a later date.Desi Barroga was placed on a remedial plan in 2021 after the board found he did not maintain adequate medical records, patient history, examination details and his medical rational for prescribing controlled substances, including fentanyl patches, to one patient.