Las Vegas ex-doctor gets year in prison for health care fraud

A former Las Vegas doctor was sentenced Thursday to a year and a day in federal prison in connection with a sweeping crackdown on health care fraud by the Department of Justice.

Horace Guerra, a family doctor and a former managing partner of Incera LLC, pleaded guilty in July to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Authorities said he provided pre-signed prescription pads to Robert Harvey, a surgical technician, and Alejandro Incera, a nurse practitioner, who wrote opioid prescriptions for patients without a legitimate medical purpose.

Harvey and Incera, who also have pleaded guilty, are set to be sentenced in January.

Prosecutors claimed the conspiracy racked up $3.7 million in combined losses.

The nationwide health care fraud crackdown included 165 doctors, nurses and other licensed professionals, and encompassed a total of 601 people charged in schemes that started in July 2017 and involved more than $2 billion in false billings, authorities said.

The Justice Department called it the “largest health care fraud enforcement action” in the agency’s history.

As part of his plea, Guerra agreed to surrender his Nevada medical license.

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