Pittsburgh Physician Pleads Guilty to Drug Diversion and Health Care Fraud Charges

PITTSBURGH - A physician pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of drug diversion and health care fraud, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.

Yee Chung Ho, age 72, of Murrysville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to four counts of unlawful dispensing and distributing Schedule II controlled substances and one count of health care fraud before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Dr. Ho is a licensed medical doctor who owns and operates a family medicine practice located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The court was further advised that, on several dates in May and June 2019, Dr. Ho knowingly dispensed and distributed Schedule II drugs, specifically, Oxycodone, outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. The court was further advised that from April 2018 through June 2019, Dr. Ho committed health care fraud by causing fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicare for payments to cover the costs of unlawfully prescribed drugs.

Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for February 4, 2022. The law provides for a maximum per count sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000.00, or both, for the controlled substances offenses. Dr. Ho faces an additional maximum per count sentence of 10 years and fine of $250,000.00 for the health care fraud charges. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Cessar and Karen Gal-Or and Special Assistant United States Attorney Edward Song are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Pennsylvania State Attorney General’s Office conducted the investigation leading to the charges in this case.