Burlco doctor charged in fraud scheme

A Burlington County doctor was arrested Friday and charged with participating in a fraud conspiracy that cost health-care programs $20 million, federal prosecutors said.

Bernard Ogon, 45, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Dickson in Newark and was released on $500,000 secured bond.

Prosecutors said Ogon was paid by telemedicine companies to prescribe expensive compound medications, and he did so with little or no information about the patients.

Often the prescriptions were filled out by the companies before he signed them, prosecutors said.

Benefit programs, including the provider of benefits for members of the military and their families, suffered more than $20 million in losses, prosecutors said.

If convicted, Ogon faces a maximum 10 years in prison.