UPDATE: Wise County psychiatrist ordered to pay $1 million, given six months of home arrest in federal fraud case

A Wise County, Virginia psychiatrist has been ordered to pay $1 million in restitution, court fees, and forfeitures after pleading guilty in a Medicaid and Medicare fraud case.

Uzma Ehtesham, 52, was also given two years probation during her sentencing in federal court in Abingdon which requires her to spend six months of that period under home arrest.

Prosecutors said during Ehtesham’s plea agreement hearing in November that the doctor would meet with two to four clients as a group then issue a bill for federal reimbursement that would indicate the patients were seen separately.

Ehtesham also submitted fraudulent bills that showed sessions lasted for extended periods when they only last a few minutes.

The state testified that Ehtesham swindled federal care programs out of $500,000 from 2010 to 2016.

(IMAGE: ST 929 ARCHIVES)