When I first started practicing under the False Claims Act, I quickly became familiar with the matter involving Dr. Fata. Dr. Fata diagnosed people with cancer and then treated them with aggressive chemotherapy. Many of the patients did not have cancer, and yet they were subjected to both the emotional trauma of being told they did, and the physical trauma from very aggressive cancer drugs. Dr. Fata gave other patients far more aggressive treatments than their diagnoses warranted. And he continued to give them such treatments until the patients’ dying days. George Karadsheh, the extremely brave whistleblower in this matter, stated that there was one patient who fell on his way into the office for his chemotherapy treatment. He suffered significant injuries. Rather than rushing him to the emergency room, Dr. Fata insisted that he first be given his aggressive chemotherapy. After the delay, the patient went to the emergency room. He ended up dying from his injuries.
This conduct shocks the conscious. Dr. Fata was arrested very soon after Mr. Karadsheh’s lawyer alerted the Department of Justice to the extensive fraud. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Taxpayers Against Fraud puts out videos of whistleblowers and their cases. To view the episode involving Dr. Fata and Mr. Karadsheh, please click here.