SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - The former head of a California shoe store that defrauded the Veterans Affairs health care system has been sentenced to five years in prison.
Peter Wong, 61, was sentenced Tuesday in federal court, the Sacramento Bee reported.
Wong founded Sunrise Shoes and Pedorthic Service in Sacramento. He and a VA doctor were charged with billing the VA for custom, prescribed orthopedic and therapeutic shoes - some costing nearly $1,700 per pair - but instead delivering off-the-shelf shoes from the store.
The VA was billed about $1.7 million between 2008 and 2015, authorities said.
Wong was convicted in May of health care fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Anthony Lazzarino, 69, the former chief of podiatry for the VA’s Northern California health care system, also was convicted in May and awaits sentencing.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.