New Jersey radiologist sentenced to four years in prison for kickback scheme

According to the Associated Press, radiologist, Dr. Ashokkumar Babaria of Moorestown, New Jersey, has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for overseeing an illegal kickback scheme.

Federal prosecutors say Babaria, who owned and operated a diagnostic testing center in northern New Jersey, also must forfeit more than $2 million in "corrupt revenues" received through Medicare and Medicaid billings. The payments were received for tests on patients who were referred to the Orange Community MRI facility by doctors who then received cash kickbacks for those referrals.

The 64-year-old Babaria pleaded guilty in September 2012 to violating a federal health care anti-kickback statute. Prosecutors say Babaria negotiated, approved and paid kickbacks for each test referral and provided cash to subordinates to do the same.

Once he's freed from prison, Babaria will have to serve three years of supervised release.