By Victor Omondi
A Black Florida doctor is going to serve 7 years in jail for playing a major role in the fraud scheme that dwindled out up to $28 million.
The heart surgeon from Tallahassee was charged after it was discovered that he was billing health insurers with millions of dollars of health insurance funds. He’s required to pay almost $28.5 million.
It was back in December 2020 when Dr. Moses DeGraft-Johnson pleaded guilty to all the 56 counts filed against him. During the court hearing, the heart surgeon spoke straightforwardly to the judge and explained that he admits his errors and that he was very remorseful. He went on to tell the judge that despite his misconduct, he’s still persuaded that he hasn’t lost it all.
“I stand before you to let you know I’m very remorseful,” he said to the judge, according to WCTV. “I take full responsibility. I did wrong. I’m very sorry. Even though I’m not going to practice medicine, I feel that there is a lot of good left in me.”
The doctor explained that his original goal when he went working as a doctor in Tallahassee 9 years ago was to help people. He had a burden to help people, especially from Gadsden County. The doctor says he was ready to handle cases that no other doctor could, because of his passion to serve the voiceless.
Having committed a crime such as fraud, the doctor says is something he isn’t proud of and an outlier for him. DeGraft-Johnson received multiple charges, including billing Medicare and Capital Health Plan. Moreover, he was charged for denying treatment to patients from less privileged communities. He said that denying health care to patients is a different crime altogether.
According to sources, the doctor used the money from the fraud scheme and health insurers to get himself a luxurious lifestyle. As a Ghanian native, the doctor had worked in other countries where he offered relief services. He came to the US as a kid and has grown up wishing that he could get a chance to help underprivileged communities.
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