Orthopedic Surgeon Sentenced to More Than One Year in Prison for Health Care Fraud

BOSTON – A Canton orthopedic surgeon was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a health care fraud scheme.  

Dr. Olarewaju James Oladipo, 60, of Canton, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 16 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release. In December 2023, Oladipo was convicted by a federal jury of 10 counts of health care fraud. 

From approximately January 2016 through December 2019, Oladipo devised and executed a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs by falsely billing for patient visits. Specifically, Oladipo used billing codes for more complex—and thus more expensive—services that were not provided. Oladipo falsified medical records of patient visits to reflect examinations and services that were not performed. During the four-year period, Oladipo frequently billed for more than 60 patients per day and sometimes more than 100 patients per day. The result was that many, if not most, of Oladipo’s patient visits on such days could have only lasted five minutes or less. However, Oladipo used billing codes that typically corresponded to visits of 15, 25, 30, or even 45 minutes. 

Additionally, Oladipo ensured this high flow of patients to his practice by prescribing powerful, highly addictive opioids at a rate that made him one of the top prescribers of such drugs in Massachusetts. The evidence presented at trial showed that Oladipo knowingly prescribed oxycodone to patients suffering from opioid addiction.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge, Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General; and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), Northeast Area Field Office made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office; National Insurance Crime Bureau; and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan D. Panich and William B. Brady are prosecuting the case.