Fredericksburg doctor sentenced to 10 years for $70M Medicare fraud scam

FREDERICKSBURG, Texas - A Fredericksburg doctor was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in a scheme to defraud more than $70 million from Medicare programs.

What we know:

According to the Office of the Attorney General, Dr. David Young, 61, of Fredericksburg, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and was ordered to pay restitution of $26,622,522.

Young was accused of signing thousands of fake prescriptions and medical records for orthotic braces and cancer genetic testing for more than 13,000 Medicare beneficiaries, including undercover agents posing as different Medicare beneficiaries.

According to court documents, he billed more than $70 million to healthcare programs.

Young was also paid nearly $475,000 in exchange for signing fake prescriptions.

What they're saying:

"Medicaid fraud steals hundreds of millions from the taxpayers, and I will relentlessly pursue those who exploit these programs," said Attorney General Paxton. "This doctor will pay more than $26 million in restitution and spend 10 years in jail for his actions. In the past four years, my office has recovered nearly $1 billion for Texas taxpayers and I will continue to do everything in my power to hold wrongdoers accountable."