Former Washington Podiatrist Indicted on Federal Fraud Charges

A podiatrist who had an office in Washington for a time is facing federal fraud charges.

Dr. John M. Dailey, 54, of West St. Louis County, was indicted by a federal grand jury on three felony counts of billing Medicare for services not provided and two felony counts of using a false Social Security number.

He appeared last Friday in U.S. District Court, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

The indictment alleges that during 2007 and 2008, Dailey billed Medicare for services that he reported he personally provided, when in fact, he was on vacation and outside of the state of Missouri on the dates of the services, including trips to Las Vegas, Nev., and Hawaii.

Additionally, the indictment states that in November 2008 and April 2010, Dr. Dailey used a false Social Security number on two different credit card applications.

If convicted, Dailey faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000 on each count. A judge is required to consider the U.S. sentencing guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt, the U.S. attorney’s office said.