FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACTAUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885

JUNE 27, 2007

CATONSVILLE DOCTOR SENTENCED FOR HEALTH CARE FRAUD AND FRAUDULENTLY OBTAINING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

Must Forfeit $574,426.61 and Banned From Practicing Medicine

Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Albert Gerald Little, age 61, of Catonsville, Maryland, a licensed medical doctor who had medical offices in Pikesville and Owings Mills, Maryland, yesterday to three years probation for health care fraud and obtaining drugs by fraud, in connection with a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Judge Blake ordered that Little not practice medicine or seek to obtain any further medical licenses and ordered Little to forfeit $574,426.61. In imposing the sentence Judge Blake granted a lower sentence than was called for under the sentencing guidelines based on Little’s deteriorating health and extreme physical disabilities.

According to the plea agreement presented to the court in January 2007, Little engaged in a multi-faceted scheme to defraud health care benefit programs. First, Little submitted health care claims for non-existent or fraudulent health-care services. For example, Little requested reimbursement for medical services that he never provided, such as purported office visits at times when Little was not in the office, or when his “patients” were simply picking up prescriptions without seeing the doctor for treatment. Little also improperly labeled and billed procedures, such as numerous trigger point injections that he billed as more expensive tendon sheath injections.

Second, Little submitted fraudulent claims for reimbursement for the cost of prescription medications, including prescriptions written without a legitimate medical purpose and for fictitious patients. In some cases, illegitimate controlled-substance prescriptions were issued without any legitimate medical purpose in exchange for cash payments by the “patient.” Little submitted fraudulent claims that caused losses to the following health care benefit programs: Carefirst Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Medicaid, Medicare and MAMSI.

Finally, Little obtained controlled substances for himself by keeping pills obtained from prescriptions written in the names of his patients. On December 4, 2003, law enforcement agents seized MS Contin 60mg pills, which contain morphine, and 75mcg Duragesic patches, which contain fentanyl, from Little’s residence, in prescription containers with the names of two patients. Agents also seized cash proceeds of the scheme from Little’s personal and business bank accounts.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the Baltimore District Office Diversion Group of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Inspector General of the Office of Personnel Management for the investigative work performed in this case. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Manuelian, who prosecuted the case.