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November 21, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

West Virginia Doctor Pleads Guilty to
Health Care Fraud & Tax Evasion

Doctor will forfeit $3.7 million to Federal Government

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA — A 61-year old Parkersburg, West Virginia, doctor has entered pleas of guilty to Health Care Fraud and Tax Evasion in United States District Court in Wheeling before Chief Judge John Preston Bailey.

United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced that BARTON JOSEPH ADAMS, a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine who owned and operated the Interventional Pain Management medical office in Vienna, West Virginia, admitted to willfully attempting to evade taxes in the amount of $528,579. DR. ADAMS also admitted to making a fraudulent claim for health care proceeds in the amount of $34,314.86. As part of his plea agreement, DR. ADAMS agreed to the forfeiture of $3,724,721 and to file tax returns or amended tax returns for calendar years 2004 through 2009 and further to cooperate with representatives of the Internal Revenue Service to reconstruct all taxes due and owing by him.

DR. ADAMS, who is in custody pending sentencing, faces up to 15 years imprisonment and a $350,000 fine in addition to the forfeiture. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled by Judge Bailey as soon as a pre-sentence investigation report is completed by the United States Probation Office.

“Dr. Adams stole nearly four million dollars from American taxpayers and then schemed with his wife to hide the money in bank accounts around the world,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “He used the money that he stole to live a luxurious lifestyle, taking fancy trips and staying in high- end hotels, and he had plans to retire overseas until the whole scheme collapsed. I commend the I.R.S. agents for all of the hard work that they have done, and continue to do, as the investigation is ongoing.”

The case was prosecuted by United States Attorney Ihlenfeld, Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Stein, and Assistant United States Attorney Alan McGonigal. It was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division and the Office of Inspector General-Department of Health and Human Services.