Rochester Doctor Pleads Guilty to Defrauding University of Rochester

   Rochester, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Doron Feldman, 54, of Williamsville, N.Y., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr., to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant practiced as anesthesiologist for CGF Anesthesia and Associates in Buffalo, N.Y. CGF provided anesthesia services to patients undergoing surgery at Strong Memorial Hospital, Highland Hospital and other medical facilities in the Rochester, N.Y. area. Between September 2007 and December 2009, Feldman, along with co-defendant Debra Bulter and others, devised a scheme to defraud and obtain money from the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Rochester.

In September 2007, fraudulent invoices were submitted to the Department of Anesthesiology for services that were never provided by Feldman. In her position as Program Administrator for the department, Debra Bulter approved payment of the fraudulent invoices. From 2008 through 2010, the Department of Anesthesiology paid fraudulent fees totaling approximately $1,460,000 with the defendant receiving approximately $630,000 of that amount.

“Attempts to steal money are always wrong, but when the scheme involves health care, such fraud drives up the costs for all Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “What makes this crime even worse is that the defendant violated his oath, his employer and the public.”               

Debra Bulter has been convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and money laundering and is awaiting sentencing.

The plea is the culmination of a joint investigation on the part of the Internal Revenue Service, under the direction of Shantelle P. Kitchen, Acting Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Office, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Shelly Binkowski, Acting Inspector in Charge, Boston Division, United States Postal Inspection Service.