A southwest suburban doctor has been charged with dispensing prescription medications illegally and fraudulently billing Medicare, according to federal authorities.

Sathish Narayanappa Babu, 47, of Bolingbrook, was arrested Wednesday by federal agents after officials from numerous agencies searched his residence and his Darien office, according to a news release Thursday from the U.S. attorney’s office for the Northern District of Illinois.

Agents seized more than $100,000 from the bank accounts of Babu’s company, Anik Life Sciences Medical Corp., according to the release.

Babu was charged with one count each of conspiracy to illegally dispense a controlled substance and health care fraud, according to the release.

He was subsequently released on a $100,000 unsecured bond and prohibited from writing any prescriptions or submitting any Medicare claims, the release said.

Babu is due back in court Tuesday.

Calls to multiple phone numbers listed on the Anik website were not returned Thursday.

Babu “knowingly prescribed” controlled substances, including oxycodone, to a patient who was actually an undercover agent from November 2012 to December 2013, despite never having seen nor examined the patient, according to the complaint.

Babu also permitted unlicensed personnel associated with Anik Life Sciences to issue prescriptions to the agent in the doctor’s name, the complaint states.

Babu billed Medicare for services provided to the agent and received a total of approximately $1,657, for services that were not rendered by Babu or any other medical professional licensed in Illinois, according to the complaint.

The undercover agent pretended to be a healthy person covered by Medicare who was looking to obtain prescriptions for medications including oxycodone, according to the complaint.

Anik personnel visited the agent at his apartment approximately 10 times, according to the complaint.

None of the personnel were licensed as physicians, nurses or other medical professionals in Illinois, according to the complaint.

One Anik representative who visited the agent at the apartment told the agent he was a doctor but had in fact been employed by “various parking garage companies” in 2010 and 2011, the complaint states.

Conspiracy to illegally dispense oxycodone carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine, while health care fraud carries a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the release announcing Babu’s arrest.
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