By Chad Van Alstin, 02/20/25
A doctor in St. Louis who scammed federal healthcare programs out of hundreds of thousands of dollars has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison, followed by another three years of supervised release.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Sonny Saggar, MD, will also have to repay the $742,528 he was convicted of taking in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement for patient visits he did not conduct.
According to prosecutors, the 57-year-old operated St. Louis General Hospital clinics in which physician assistants would often see patients. In many such instances, Saggar billed health plans as if he were the one providing direct care.
The incidents happened between 2018 and 2023, sometimes when Saggar was out of town. After a DOJ investigation, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy in August.
