Baton Rouge Man Charged with Falsely Holding Himself as a Medical Doctor and Making False Statements

A federal grand jury recently returned a three-count indictment charging Samrat Mukherjee, 35, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana with falsely holding himself as a medical doctor and making false statements by calling in prescriptions without authority.

According to the indictment, Mukherjee was a licensed paramedic who worked for Acadian Ambulance Service, Inc. Mukherjee did not attend or graduate from medical school. However, the indictment alleges that while employed by Acadian Ambulance, Mukherjee falsely held himself to co-workers and friends as a licensed medical doctor. From in or around May 2019 through in or around November 2022, Mukherjee allegedly called in prescriptions to various pharmacies for himself and others. The indictment alleges that when calling in those prescriptions, Mukherjee falsely and fraudulently claimed that he was instead other actual doctors and had authority to write prescriptions. 

This matter is being investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Lundin Craig, Trial Attorney Samantha E. Usher, and Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

NOTE: An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury.  The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.