Bergen County Doctor Sentenced To 3 Years In $100M Lab Referral Scheme

SADDLE BROOK, NJ — A family physician was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for his role in a $100 million laboratory test referral scheme, authorities announced.

Bernard Greenspan, 79, of River Edge was charged with conspiracy, wire fraud and defrauding patients. His practice is in Saddle Brook.

Greenspan was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison and one year of supervised release, said Matthew Reilly, a spokesperson with the United States District Attorney's Office of Public Affairs in New Jersey. He must also forfeit more than $203,000 and pay $125,000 fine.

Greenspan accepted more than $200,000 in bribes and kickbacks from March 2006 to April 2013 from Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services of Parsippany as incentive to refer their patients to BLS for the testing of blood samples; the scheme resulted in $3 million in business for BLS, court documents show. He faced a maximum of 20 years in prison.

BLS allegedly gave a job to a woman Greenspan was having a sexual relationship with, according to criminal complaints filed against him.

Greenspan's attorney previously told the Associated Press that his client's dealings with the lab were "legal" and "legitimate."

The federal investigation has resulted in 45 guilty pleads, including 31 from doctors. The organizers have admitted that it involved millions of dollars in bribes and resulted in more than $100 million in Medicare and private insurance payments to BLS. It is believed to be the largest number of medical professionals ever prosecuted in a bribery case, Fitzpatrick said.

Email daniel.hubbard@patch.com. Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.

Bernard Greenspan, 79 — Julio Cortez/Associated Press