Doctor Sentenced For Unlawful Drug Distribution, False Statements To Medicare, And Paycheck Protection

Summary

A press release published 2024-03-06 by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida announcing that U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell sentenced Tommy Louisville, 71, of Pembroke Pines to one year and one day in federal prison for unlawful drug distribution, false statements relating to health care matters and Paycheck Protection Program fraud. The office states that Louisville pleaded guilty on November 3, 2023 and was ordered to pay the Small Business Administration $35,319.23 and Medicare $8,466.56. According to court documents described in the release, he kept issuing controlled-substance prescriptions after the Florida Board of Medicine suspended him on May 30, 2019, and between April 2020 and May 2020 used his closed medical business to obtain a PPP loan of $33,034 by claiming six employees.

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Full text

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell today sentenced Tommy Louisville (71, Pembroke Pines) to one year and one day in federal prison for unlawful drug distribution, false statements relating to health care matters, and Paycheck Protection Program fraud. The court also ordered Louisville to pay restitution in the amount of $35,319.23 to the Small Business Administration and $8,466.56 to Medicare. Louisville entered a guilty plea on November 3, 2023.
According to court documents, Louisville was a Florida-licensed physician and Drug Enforcement Administration registrant. On May 30, 2019, the Florida Board of Medicine suspended Louisville from the practice of medicine for two years, thereby making him ineligible to lawfully prescribe controlled substances. Louisville continued to issue controlled-substance prescriptions after his medical license was suspended. Furthermore, he concealed the fact that he was not authorized to issue prescriptions from Medicare in connection with the submission to Medicare of the prescriptions for payment. Louisville eventually shuttered his medical business in November 2019.
Between April 2020 and May 2020, Louisville used his closed business to fraudulently obtain a federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in the amount of $33,034. Louisville submitted an application that contained multiple fraudulent representations, including stating average monthly payroll suggesting he actively operated a medical business; stating he employed six employees; and certifying that loan proceeds would be used for business-related purposes.
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration (Tampa District Office), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

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www.justice.gov