Department of Justice Press Release

For Immediate Release
August 2, 2010 United States Attorney's Office
Northern District of Georgia
Contact: (478) 752-3511

Complaint Filed Against Robert M. Ritchea, M.D. for Submitting Over $2.2 Million in False Claims to Medicare

Defendant Billed For Pain Injections Administered by Unlicensed Medical Assistant

ATLANTA, GA—ROBERT M. RITCHEA, M.D., 51, of Phenix City, Alabama has been sued in a federal complaint on charges of submitting false or fraudulent claims to Medicare.

Sally Quillian Yates, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, said, “This lawsuit shows what happens when a doctor puts money before the health and safety of his patients. The complaint alleges not only that Dr. Ritchie allowed an unlicensed medical assistant to inject patients with pain medications, but also that he improperly billed Medicare for the treatments. We are committed to ending this kind of Medicare fraud.â€