Pennsylvania Physician Sentenced To Prison For False Tax Returns, Healthcare Fraud

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of the Dominican Republic, has been sentenced in federal court to one year and one day in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $121,000 to Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield on his conviction of filing false individual and corporate tax returns and health care fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Dr. William R. Acosta.

According to information presented to the court, Acosta, a physician licensed to practice in Pennsylvania, filed three false individual income tax returns and three false corporate income tax returns for calendar years 2001, 2002, and 2003, whereby he failed to report $561,129 in taxable income, resulting in an underpayment of $181,460 in income tax owed to the United States.

In addition, from Aug. 28, 2002, to Jan. 24, 2003, Acosta submitted false and fraudulent claims to Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield for levels of services higher than what he actually provided, and he unjustly received payment at the higher level from Highmark.

Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr., prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Internal Revenue Service/Criminal Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services/Office of Inspector General for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Acosta.