Spyros Panos, a former orthopedic surgeon who was previously convicted of health care fraud, has pleaded guilty to additional charges of wire fraud, health care fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Panos, a Hopewell Junction resident, was formerly with the Poughkeepsie-based Mid Hudson Medical Group and had pleaded guilty to one count of felony health care fraud in November 2013. He served three years of a four-and-a-half-year sentence and lost his medical license.
In his new guilty plea, Panos acknowledged assuming the identity of a licensed orthopedic surgeon and obtaining more than $876,000 in payments for reviewing patient files in connection with health care appeals and workers compensation cases.
Panos faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for his one count of wire fraud, a maximum 10-year sentence for his one count of health care fraud and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for his one count of aggravated identity theft. In connection to his plea, he also agreed to forfeit the funds that he illegally received and to pay full restitution, which totals $876,389.97.
Panos is scheduled to be sentenced on March 16, 2021.
