Two pain management doctors, twin brothers Desi Barroga, 51, and Deno Barroga, 51, were sentenced today to six and a half years each for healthcare fraud, as announced by U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Leigha Simonton. The Barrogas were indicted in November 2023 and pled guilty in May 2024 to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud.
U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr handed down the sentences, holding the brothers jointly and severally liable for $9,016,883.10 in restitution. As part of their plea agreement, they also forfeited their medical licenses.
“These doctors exploited drug users’ vulnerabilities, requiring them to submit to monthly visits in exchange for controlled substance prescriptions, then billing their insurance providers for services the patients did not need nor receive," said U.S. Attorney Simonton. “In a bizarre attempt to cover up their crimes, the defendants feigned giving injections without actually piercing the patients’ skin.”
The Barrogas admitted they defrauded Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, and United Healthcare by submitting claims for corticosteroid injections that were never administered. They required patients to undergo monthly visits to continue receiving controlled substances, including hydrocodone, oxycodone, and morphine, while falsely billing insurers for services.
The brothers claimed they performed up to 80 injections per patient during each visit. However, most injections never took place, as they mimicked the procedure by placing a needle on the patient’s skin without penetration. Fake medical records were created, with many cloned from patient to patient with little variation, and patients were instructed to include false information in the records.
Prosecutors revealed the scheme allowed the Barrogas to bill at least $45 million to insurers and receive over $9 million in payments. Several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, investigated the case.
