Harrisburg, pennsylvania, USA: A doctor of Indian origin, Neil K. Anand, has been handed a 14-year prison sentence by a US court for illegally prescribing painkillers and sedatives to patients in order to commit insurance fraud.

Neil K. Anand, who practiced medicine in Pennsylvania, was found guilty of prescribing unnecessary medications to patients and exploiting the insurance system for personal gain. As part of the ruling, insurance companies are required to repay $2 million to the government, in addition to $2 million in illegally obtained funds.

The legal proceedings against Anand began in 2019, culminating in a conviction earlier this year. The presiding judge stated that Anand had manipulated the suffering of his patients for financial benefit. Anand, however, maintained that he had been wrongly convicted and argued that his treatments were aimed at understanding and addressing patients’ pain. He also highlighted his service in the US Navy and his medical care for victims of the 9/11 attacks.

Reports suggest that Anand routinely prescribed sedatives and painkillers that were not medically necessary, using them as a means to defraud insurance companies. He allegedly handed out blank prescription pads with his signature to trainees, who then issued prescriptions to patients. In one instance, authorities found that 20,000 oxycodone tablets had been prescribed to just nine patients. Anand allegedly sold these drugs through his dispensary. Once he became aware of the ongoing investigation, he transferred substantial sums to a relative’s account and to another minor’s bank account.

Anand claimed that artificial intelligence had been used to manipulate evidence against him, asserting that data was altered to ensure his conviction. In his blog, he had previously stated that his goal was to provide relief to patients with chronic illnesses. However, the court rejected these defenses, concluding that Anand had monetized the pain of his patients for personal profit.