Ridgefield Osteopathic Physician Charged With Health Care Fraud

RIDGEFIELD, Conn. -- A Ridgefield physician was arrested Tuesday and charged with 14 counts of health-care fraud and 14 counts of making false statements relating to health care matters, according to the U.S. attorney for Connecticut.

A Ridgefield physician has been charged with 14 counts of healthcare fraud.
Photo Credit: *Flickr user Chris Potter*

Joe Jenkins

03/19/2014 1:00 p.m.

David Lester Johnston, 45, an osteopathic physician, engaged in a scheme to defraud Medicare and several private health insurance companies by billing for osteopathic and physical therapy services that he did not perform and by misrepresenting the nature of the services that were performed, according the U.S. attorney.

Johnston owns and operates Osteopathic Wellness Center, located at 158 Danbury Road in Ridgefield.

Johnston was arraigned in U.S. District Court in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty. He was released on $100,000 bond.

If convicted, Johnston faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the health care fraud counts, and a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of $250,000 on the false statements counts.

The incident is being investigated by the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael W. Ahearn and Auditor Kevin A. Saunders.

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