Former Delco Doctor Gets 8-Year Sentence For Healthcare Fraud

A former Havertown podiatrist was recently sentenced to 8 years prison time after he defrauded Medicare, Medicaid and private insurances between 2008 and 2014.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Stephen A. Monaco was sentenced to 97 months – just over 8 years – in prison after he pleaded guilty to health care fraud in August 2016 and surrendered his DEA license.

Not only was Monaco sentenced to prison time, he was ordered to serve three years of supervised release upon release from prison, and to pay $4,960,295 restitution. The defendant was also ordered to forfeit assets traceable to the offense, the attorney's office said.

Monaco operated A Foot Above Podiatry in Havertown and between January 2008 and October 31, 2014, he submitted fraudulent bills to Medicare for at least approximately $5 million dollars for certain podiatric procedures that were not performed at all, and other procedures that were not medically necessary, the attorney's office said.

The attorney's office also said Monaco prescribed "pill seeking" patients oxycodone, a dangerous and addictive opioid medication, in exchange for payments from health insurance providers.

Monaco gave patients medically unnecessary injections in their toes and feet and then would submit fraudulent claims to the patients’ insurance companies. The attorney's office said he did this to "create the appearance of legitimacy for his prescription of opioids."

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General, the United States Railroad Retirement Board Office of Inspector General, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Section, the attorney's office said.

Assistant United States Attorneys M. Beth Leahy and Jennifer B. Jordan prosecuted the case.

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