Doctor tied to Menendez sentenced to 17 years in prison

A Florida eye doctor who had been a co-defendant of Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) in a bribery case was sentenced to 17 years in prison on Thursday for stealing $73 million from Medicare for fraudulent medical treatments. 

Salomon Melgen was convicted in Florida of 67 crimes related to his medical practice, including giving expensive optical treatments to elderly patients for diseases that they did not have and submitting false documentation on the diagnoses, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. 

The Harvard-educated doctor pocketed millions from the unnecessary treatments that were billed to Medicare, helping him to become the highest paid Medicare doctor between 2008 and 2013. 

The court ordered Melgen to pay $42.6 million to Medicare, and he could be required to pay more restitution in the future, according to the Chronicle. 

The judge said he would consider Melgen’s request to be released on bail pending an appeal, but agreed to recommend that he serve out his sentence in a low-security prison, the Palm Beach Post reported.

Dr. Salomon Melgen asked to be released on bond pending appeal. Judge said we would rule on that request later. Agreed to recommend low-security prison.

— PB Post Courts (@pbpcourts) February 22, 2018

Melgen has been in custody since his conviction on April 28. 

The Justice Department separately put Melgen and Menendez on trial for corruption. The charges centered on gifts, including expensive vacations, that Melgen gave to Menendez. Both have denied wrongdoing, saying they are long-time friends.

The corruption case ended with a mistrial in November. The Justice Department announced last month that it would not retry the case.