Rockford, IL-(ENEWSPF)- A suspended DeKalb, Ill. doctor pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court before U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Kapala to illegally dispensing controlled substances and federal income tax fraud, and his wife pleaded guilty to income tax fraud.
According to the plea agreements, RICHARD H. NG, 64, owned and operated the Sauk Medical Clinic’s DeKalb and Sterling, Illinois locations. LEE LEE FOONG, 57, also known as “Audrey,” was married to Ng and was the office manager for the Sauk Medical Clinic. Every patient at Sauk Medical Clinic received a prescription for a scheduled controlled substance. Ng accepted only cash, credit cards, or checks for Sauk Medical Clinic patient visits and required 100% payment for the visit prior to the patient receiving a prescription. Ng admitted in his plea agreement that he dispensed controlled substances, such as Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, and Morphine Sulphate, outside the course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. Ng also admitted that he was aware of obvious “red flags” that his patients were abusing or misusing the controlled substances.
Ng admitted that between December 10, 2010 and February 7, 2011, he dispensed outside the course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose three prescriptions for Hydrocodone to an undercover federal agent. Ng also dispensed outside the course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose six prescriptions for controlled substances to two additional undercover federal agents. Ng did so after performing a minimal examination and learning from both undercover agents that they were sharing their pills with others.
According to the plea agreements, Ng and Foong filed a false federal individual tax return for 2011, which failed to report a total of $284,890 in cash received from Sauk Medical Clinic and rental receipts. Ng and Foong admitted that the unreported income would have resulted in additional federal income tax due of $92,646.10.
Ng faces a maximum sentence of 13 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release up to life following imprisonment, and a fine of up to $1.1 million. Sentencing for Ng is set for December 19, 2016, at 9:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Kapala.
Foong faces a maximum sentence of 3 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release up to one year, and a fine of up to $100,000. Sentencing for Foong is set for December 20, 2016, at 2:30 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Kapala.
The guilty plea was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Dennis A. Wichern, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration; and James D. Robnett, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The Sterling, Ill. Police Department assisted in the investigation.
The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott R. Paccagnini.
Source: Justice.gov
