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GoogleDr. Devendra K. Varma, 76, and Winifred (Veena) Varma, 74, who were indicted July 9 by a federal grand jury in St. Louis, appeared before Magistrate Judge Terry I. Adelman.
Dr. Varma's lawyer is Curtis O. Poore of Cape Girardeau and Mrs. Varma was represented by attorney Jasper Edmundson of Poplar Bluff, according to Jan Diltz, public affairs officer in the U.S. Attorney's Office in St. Louis. He is free on a $50,000 bond and she was released on her own recognizance.
According to U.S. Attorney Michael Reap, the Varmas were indicted in connection with the Haven Hills Medical Clinic, which is owned by the Varmas. The clinic, located at 1611 Lurlyn Road, includes a laboratory and pharmacy.
Central Pharmacy is registered with the Missouri Board of Pharmacy and the owner of the permit is Veena Varma. Central Pharmacy also is registered with the Missouri Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as a retail pharmacy.
The indictment alleges Dr. Varma allegedly falsely reported in patient medical records that he examined and evaluated 92 Medicare and Medicaid patients on Jan. 9, 2007, and 75 Medicare and Medicaid patients on Jan. 2, 2009.
"Dr. Devendra and Veena falsely represented in reimbursement claims that Varma had spent 25 minutes face to face with each patient," Reap said. "This represented a total of 38.3 hours on Jan. 9, 2007, and 31.25 hours on Jan. 2, 2009, which is obviously impossible."
On Jan. 9, 2007, Varma is accused of falsely representing he examined one patient before prescribing 11 medications. On Jan. 2, 2009, Varma is accused of falsely representing he examined one patient before prescribing 18 medications. All the prescriptions were filled at Central Pharmacy.
The indictment also charges the Varmas submitted fraudulent statements to Medicare and Medicaid for non-rendered services.
If convicted, the Varmas each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.
They were indicted following a lengthy investigation into the billing practices at Haven Hills Medical Clinic and Central Pharmacy Inc. by the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Also assisting in the investigation were members of the DEA, Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Poplar Bluff Police Department.
The federal investigation began in September after the Poplar Bluff Police Department requested assistance.
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If the Varma's are found guilty,what a shameful misuse of his education,and ability to heal.Pill addiction has caused many deaths in our area,and anyone who would willing help addicts/dealers get these narcotics should do every minute of that five years.
This is the type of dishonesty,greed, and callousness towards your fellowman that should call for more jailtime.
IF they are found guilty, I hope they lose all the money they were so willing to lie and steal for,not caring who they harmed. THIS is what is wrong with healthcare-the lack of CARING!
Did they have anything to do with Mike Jackson's death?
This is a penny ante fraud case that will wind up costing the feds more than 100 times what the Varma's may have obtained. This should have been handled civilly. Have the Varma's repay the money with a fine, and bar them from Medicare and Medicaid patients for one year. Case closed. Instead they are being criminally prosecuted, which is not only outrageously expensive, but it will decimate their lives.
FJGUY this cannot be handled anyway other than federally. Medicaid and Medicare fraud are federal matters because it is federal money that is funding them I do believe. This man was known as the pill doctor in this area for a few years. I have known people who went to see him for almost nothing and he prescribed them hydrocodone, which in turn they went and sold because that was their whole point in going to him. I say it was about time for him to go down.
I agree with 76, time for the Verma clan to go down. They totally defraud the medicare & medicade program & hand out pills from their clinic & the most of them are sold on the streets. Makes ya wonder how much money they have stocked up & to release on ROC & only $50,000 is a free ticket for them to return back to whatever country they came from.Their lives should be decimated if found guilty , for all the lives they have ruined, not counting frauding the government,making funds not available to ones that do need help.
yeah i say deport their ***** back to india
If they are found guilty,they are in their 70's,how decimated will their lives be? They have been doing this for over 25 years,don't you think their MILLIONS of ill-gotten gains will keep them happy?
Patients were taking the filled scripts and openly dealing them in front of their "clinic",FJ guy,Dr. DK Varma had his priveleges revoked from area hospital 25 years ago,for his overuse of pain medicine,his lack of current medical knowledge for his pts. and questionable billing.
I think that many more dealer-doctors should be busted.Prescription narcotics are just too easily obtained and sold in our area. I realize that many people don't feel the Varmas are responsible for the deaths caused by their dealt scripts,but I'm sure if he LOSES not just his freedom,a little cash AND his medical license,he will be one less in this deadly equation.