A Boston-based doctor has agreed to plead guilty after federal authorities accused her of running a massive Medicare fraud scheme involving genetic testing for patients she never actually treated—or even spoke to.
Le Thu, 69, has been charged with two counts of making false statements related to health care matters, and according to prosecutors, she raked in millions by pretending to provide medical services that never happened. A court date for her plea hearing has not yet been scheduled.
Between March 2017 and November 2020, Thu allegedly signed off—or had untrained staff sign off—on false medical orders for genetic testing. These orders claimed she had consulted with patients, obtained their consent, and would use the test results to inform treatment decisions. In reality, prosecutors say Thu never saw or spoke to the patients at all.
In one example cited by investigators, she claimed the test would help guide her clinical decisions for a patient—yet there was no consultation, no examination, and no follow-up. The lab involved billed Medicare more than $5,000 for that test alone.
Overall, the scheme led to $35.3 million in Medicare claims, with Medicare ultimately paying out about $25.3 million. That’s a lot of taxpayer money funneled into what prosecutors are calling a complete sham.
“This wasn’t a clerical error or misunderstanding—this was a calculated scheme to exploit a federal health program,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley in a statement. “Dr. Thu used her medical license to greenlight false claims and cash in.”
If convicted, Thu faces up to five years in prison per charge, plus fines of up to $250,000 (or potentially double the fraud amount), and supervised release. Sentencing, once scheduled, will be determined by federal guidelines.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard Locker, with investigative work led by the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
Thu is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court—but her signature on millions in phony claims is already drawing sharp criticism.
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