Texas Doctor Indicted
Posted/updated on: March 18, 2011 at 2:18 am
TYLER – An Ellis County podiatrist has been indicted and arrested for health care and income tax fraud. Shannon Gallentine, 45, of Maypearl, was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 9 and charged with 24 counts of health care fraud and 2 counts of failing to file federal income tax returns. Gallentine was arrested Tuesday and made an initial appearance before Tyler U.S. Magistrate Judge Amos L. Mazzant that afternoon. If convicted, Gallentine faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each count.
According to the indictment, from January 2004 through May 2007, Gallentine, a podiatrist, owned and operated Ambulatory Foot Care in Lancaster, Texas. During this time, Gallentine is alleged to have submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare seeking reimbursement for procedures which he did not perform. As a result of these false claims, Gallentine is alleged to have received in excess of $365,000.00 to which he was not entitled. Additionally, it is alleged that Gallentine willfully failed to file federal income tax returns for calendar years 2004 and 2005.
