Fresno Podiatrist Pleads Guilty To Health Care Fraud Scheme

FRESNO, Calif. —Franklyn Collier Jones, 55, of Fresno, pleaded guilty yesterday to health care fraud, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. 

According to court documents, Jones practiced podiatry in Fresno. Between 2010 and 2015, Jones billed Medicare for surgical procedures called avulsions and matrixectomies that he did not perform. He only performed routine foot care on the patients, such as clipping of toenails. 

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Mark J. McKeon is prosecuting the case.

Jones is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill on January 16, 2018. Jones faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.