Federal grand jury indicts Morgantown-area doctor

MORGANTOWN — A Morgantown-area doctor was named in a 50-count federal indictment over a kickback scheme and providing prescriptions without a medical basis.

This week, the federal grand jury handed down the indictments involving Felix A. Brizuela Jr., along with George P. Naum III and Eric Drake.

The first 21 counts involved Brizuela. Federal officials said that while in Monongalia County, Brizuela overprescribed oxycodone, oxymorphone and fentanyl to individuals. Those crimes allegedly occurred between 2013 and 2015.

The indictment also charge Brizuela with working with a medical lab — called Southwest and based in Dallas — on a kickback scheme. Investigators said Brizuela operated a medical practice in Mon County and received benefits for directing urine tests to the company.

It’s alleged that through the scheme, Southwest submitted claims for more than $1.6 million to private insurance companies, $172,000 to Medicare and nearly $35,000 to West Virginia Medicaid.

Read more: http://www.dominionpost.com/Federal-grand-jury-in--dicts-Mor