By David Eck
Enquirer contributor

LEBANON - A Lebanon physician will pay back $215,000, forfeit $400,000 in assets and surrender his medical license after pleading guilty Thursday in Warren County Common Pleas Court to Medicaid fraud.

Kyle Howard, 58, was also sentenced to three years' probation. He was indicted on the single felony charge by a Warren County grand jury last month after a multi-agency investigation of his billing practices.

The indictment was the result of a two-year investigation by local and state authorities and the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors say Howard billed for more time than he actually spent with patients. Investigators became suspicious of Howard's billing practices after learning that he usually treated 40 to 70 patients daily during his office hours.

"By defrauding the Medicaid program, Dr. Howard was, in effect, stealing hard-earned taxpayer dollars," Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro said. "I appreciate the cooperation between state and local authorities that helped lead to today's plea."

Howard was cooperative with prosecutors in arranging the plea agreement, Warren County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel said.

"We trust our doctors," Hutzel said. "When you're taking money from the Medicaid program, you're taking it from the taxpayers and you're taking it from those who need it the most, the poor."

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