David Jankowski, DO, was sentenced to a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and ordered to forfeit more than $40 million for running two pill mills in Michigan, the Justice Department said April 26.
Dr. Jankowski was convicted July 11 on 30 charges related to the unlawful distribution of schedule II, III and IV controlled substances and healthcare fraud, the Justice Department said. He prescribed drugs including Oxycontin, Oxycodone, morphine, hydrocodone and Xanax after receiving cash from recruiters who brought patients to his purported clinic, Summit Medical Group, formerly in Dearborn Heights and Southfield, Mich.
Dr. Jankowski persuaded one patient to receive unnecessary shoulder surgery in return for prescribing medically unnecessary controlled substances, the Justice Department said. He issued or authorized the issuance of more than 1 million opioid pills for no legitimate medical purpose, and in exchange for money.
Dr. Jankowski then submitted fraudulent insurance claims saying he had provided necessary treatment to these patients, according to the Justice Department.
The claims were submitted to Michigan auto insurance companies, private health care insurers, Medicare and Medicaid. Based on these fraudulent claims, Dr. Jankowski received more than $35 million from the auto and private insurance companies — which he was ordered to forfeit — and more than $5 million from Medicare and Medicaid, which he was ordered to repay as restitution.