A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office:
CHICAGO AREA SURGEON CONVICTED AT FEDERAL TRIAL OF MAKING
FALSE STATEMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH CARE BENEFITS AND SERVICES
CHICAGO — Dr. John Natale, a Chicago area vascular and thoracic surgeon, was convicted of two federal felony counts for making false statements in reports relating to health care benefits and services following a week-long trial in U.S. District Court.
A jury deliberated several hours yesterday afternoon before
- convicting Natale of two counts of making false statements and
- acquitting him of
- two counts of health care fraud and
- one count of mail fraud
Natale, 63, of South Barrington, remains free on his own recognizance while awaiting sentencing, which U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer scheduled for Aug. 15. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the two counts.
Natale specializes in repairing abdominal aortic aneurysms, which is a weakening of the artery, and the trial focused on six surgeries he performed in 2003 and 2004 on patients at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights.
Natale currently operates at Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago, according to his own testimony at trial.
Northwest Community Hospital medical officials, who also testified at trial, assisted with the government’s investigation.
Natale was indicted last September for allegedly defrauding Medicare by submitting false claims for payment and by intentionally preparing fictitious medical reports that detailed medical procedures that he knew did not occur or were more complex than those he actually performed.
The evidence at trial showed, and the jury found, that for at least two patients in 2004, Natale prepared false post-operative reports that, among other things,
- contained extensive details about aneurysm repairs that he never performed, and
- falsely described the surgeries he did perform as being more complex and elaborate than they actually were.
In the case of one patient whose medical condition deteriorated a year after Natale operated, another surgeon testified that he had to untangle the falsehoods in Natale’s records, which, if relied upon, would have had a serious impact on his subsequent treatment of that patient.
The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amarjeet Bhachu and Christopher Niewoehner.
Patrick Fitzgerald
The conviction was announced by Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, together with Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Region of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and Thomas P. Brady, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
The investigation was conducted by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which expanded to Chicago in 2011, and is part of the Health Care Fraud Prevention & Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), a joint initiative between the Justice Department and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce anti-fraud laws around the country.
this conviction was the biggest case of injustice i have ever heard about.
dr. natale is an innocent man and a surgeon admired by many..which is exactly why he was thrown under the bus by his economic competitor.
there was NO money attached to this alleged “fraud.”
it was a calculated and methodical attempt by dr. painter and several other administrators at northwest community hospital to get him off staff.
the u.s. attorney who tried this case should be ashamed.
the corruption in this case will be revealed, as evil always beats good, and all of these men will meet their makers in good time.
dr. natale can rest easy and with a clear conscience knowing the truth; which is more than we can say for the snakes involved in this pathetic witch hunt. our government should be ashamed.
This story like the conviction is terrible.
Dr. Natale is truly a community hero.
The biggest crime with this story is how the US Justice Department spent millions of dollars trying to convict a brilliant doctor who saved 6 patients.
Eric Holder, Barack Obama, Bruce Crothers, Thomas Painter all were in play on this one and its disgusting.
The real story will be uncovered here and when it does it will turn heads nationally.
Shame on Northwest Community Hospital, US Justice department, and Cleveland Clinic.
Go Bless Dr. Natale for being a true American hero.
Disgusting display of Gestapho government looking ti terrorize other doctors by TRYING to disgrace Dr. Natale a true hero to his patients and one of Chicago of not the nations finest surgeons.
The government lies and they wanted a Political lynching for the creep Obama’s reelection campaign to prove he is protecting the people.
This is further proof that an over bloated and spending spree government is completely out of control.
Patrick Fitzgerald and his henchmen should not only be ashame but run out of office.
Dr Natale was cleared of the three criminal charges and the difference in paperwork was negligible over codes used where Dr Natale LOST money.
When cover meant wants a PR commercial and tries to destroy our best docs for campaign fodder we are in deep trouble.
The only way to stop these Nazi’s is to run them all out of office. Fitzgerald has once again shown himself to be more interest in politics and government bullying rather than truth and justice. The private sector would do well ti avoid these prosecutors, men of low and questionable character all, and let them either on their vine of lies.. Bhachedt and Neiweoehner would have been completely comfortable serving Hitler…buyer beware.
Dr Painter was a competitor with a measly practice driven by envy who brought this this to the government and recruited his classmate for the Feds to testify against Dr. Natale.
The contrast in talent and decency was laughable.
The metastisizing cancer that is our government and the bums they payoff must be stopped.
They forget this is America not the USSR and the men that lead their parade Obama and Holder should not remind the public of Putin or Stalin.
This lynching of a fine decent beyond excellent surgeon should worry all Docs who will not be corrupted and Painter and his buddy Anton were.
Sickening display of government being transformed by corruption.
Dr Natale saved all his patients in these cases with exception surgeries …the same cannot be said for the corrupted Dr Painter who lost his patient.
Northwest hospital is not the institution it once was.
A google search shows internet ratings for Dr. Natale of 3.5/5.0 and 5/5.
Pat Fitzgerald is not known for false charges…maybe this doctor did some good things but my money is on Fitzgerald.
Then you know little of Fitzgerald and how he came to be in Chicago
Oh yeah internet searches that’s reliable.
I can tell you as a patient he is excellent.
You think we can trust the government or Pat Fitzgerald.
This doctor is a true hero.
@Mark: You feel that you and other American’s should trust Fitzgerald and his staff because Dr. Natale’s google rating is low?
If that’s your reasoning than let’s look at lawyer Christopher Niewoehner one of Fitzgerald’s attorneys who prosecuted Natale in this case.
Christopher Niewoehner rating is a 2.5 out of 5 in regards to a law book he wrote.
OMG!
That’s even LOWER!!
@Mark, come on get serious!!
If you feel the government should be trusted or had a case because of a google rating than our society has major issues that we need to address!
Greatest Man in the world, Dr. Natale has been tared and feathered and his name has been dragged through the mud, most disgusting thing i have ever seen in my life.
The U.S. government should be ashamed along with every lawyer on this case.
disgusted
Sometimes good people do stupid or wrong things.
Seriously, folks, was the jury out to get him?
It only takes one to have reasonable doubt for a not guilty verdict.
His lawyer could not raise doubt in ONE juror?
And what is with all the nutty tea party stuff.
I really doubt Obama was just thinking one day…’hey I can do well if I get this guy Natale’.
Blaming Obama is just silly…and I thought conservatives wanted action on medicare fraud.
Or is that only for poor people?
Did Fitz get it wrong with Blago, too? He was a Democrat.
Emotions are high, and I can appreciate friends and loved ones being upset, but don’t go off the edge.
Fitzerald resigned or stepped down.
no reason given
usually when no reasons are given ,it is not good.
Good people make mistakes -big one in this case
Govt. should show humility and back off.
Otherwise it is not a good Govt.
It is happening in many places,similar cases.
I forecast Obama’s loss.
Now the whole truth has be revealed…Dr Leighton Smith…the CMO of Northwest made the medical decisions to give the Mariner patient in the case 2 risky surgeries …He had Dr Painter do the surgeries…and take pictures of the patient. The woman did not have the smoking gun they hoped to find…and died from the surgeries Dr. Natale said she did not need…the really interesting part…recently revealed is the the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. leighton Smith head not had a medical license to practice medicine since 1999….making medical calls, a woman dies from those risky calls ….the doc that did the malpractice making surgery –that was envious of dr Natale…went to the Justice Department to have Natale prosecuted…gets his college buddy for the governments experts witness….and prosecutes Natale…while the fact the Doc making calls had not had a medical license since 1999….gets fired from Northwest 2 weeks after Natale is convicted of minor charges..and the hidden fact that explains the Doc and Northwest trying to throw blam at Natale…because Smith, Painter, Northwest Hospital and Bruce Crowder kept the lack of medical license hidden after the parties dies…because of medical decisions made by a man without a medical license…Did the US attornies also know this???
This sure as hell looks like a lynching for political reasons…the government wanted their lynching for political reasons for Obamacare reasons and the hospital is covering their guilty ass and their docs guilty ass for an unnecessary surgeries resulting in death…by a guy calling the medical shots that resulted in a horror …Dhame allmaround for the injustice to the patient and the surgeon who never lost a patient…Natale deserved better
What seems more plausible, A greedy physician takes advantage of the system for hs own gain, or an entire hospital, thier administration, other doctors and the Depoartment of Justice all gang up on some poor random guy? There was no agenda here. The hospital could have been called a co-conspiritor if they allowed this to go on
Get serious.
The Department of Justice does not persue frivilous cases. They prosecute cases with merit
And Lynchings do not occour over years.
Also, Why was my last post speaking up for Dr. Painter etc taken down? just being fair and balaanced?
Dr. Natale. did these things. He cheated the system and he got caught
We need to really consider how our justice system is flawed.
It is true that depending on who you are and how you can twist reality; it becomes fact.
I have read an extraordinary amount in reference to this case.
This was at all levels a case of deflection to cover the wrong doing at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Hts. IL.
A well crafted offensive move through some talented prosecutors and government officials.
Dr. Natale had no financial gain in any of the findings! So what was his motive? To save lives?
The responses here that damn Dr. Natale have not taken the time to see the case in its entirety.
When our government spends money they want a head chopped off. That is how they continue to get paid…
Results, right or wrong. We see cases all over the country now where the media plays a roll in making judges and lawyers media stars, and many of the outcomes with no justice.
The Department of Justice does peruse frivolous cases…how did the patient in question die at Northwest Community Hospital?
Certainly not by the hands of Dr. John Natale. Dr. John Natale was not convicted of fraud.
He was convicted for an error on surgical notes.
To err is human…We would all be lucky to have this level of expertise in a time of a medical emergency.
But the message that is load and clear in America. Sink to the lowest level of your employ!