A St. Louis-area psychiatrist who already pleaded guilty to federal health-care charges is now set to pay back $180,000 to government programs, after prosecutors said the doctor billed for in-person psychotherapy sessions that did not actually happen.
According to the St. Louis Business Journal, the civil settlement calls for $155,000 in restitution to Medicare and $25,000 to Missouri Medicaid. The outlet reports that the doctor entered a guilty plea to making false statements tied to health-care claims, and the civil deal is intended to wrap up the related billing allegations.
Settlement echoes sibling’s earlier case
Federal records show this outcome tracks closely with an earlier, larger matter involving the psychiatrist’s brother. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri announced that Dr. Mohd Azfar Malik agreed in July 2025 to pay $501,556 to resolve related false-billing claims, and documents say Malik had also pleaded guilty in April 2025. Hoodline covered that settlement last summer.
How investigators say they find suspect claims
Prosecutors and auditors often zero in on time-and-place discrepancies, looking for claims that say an in-person visit took place when travel records, payroll, or other scheduling data suggest it could not have. That kind of mismatch can flag suspicious billing patterns. “Holding health care professionals accountable for submitting false claims for financial gain is crucial for maintaining public trust,” Linda T. Hanley of HHS-OIG said in a statement quoted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Malik matter.
Legal stakes
Civil settlements like these frequently resolve alleged violations of the False Claims Act, a law that can expose providers to treble damages and per-claim penalties, legal experts note. For a concise background on the FCA’s remedies and potential exposure, see the Congressional Research Service overview…