An orthopedic surgeon was sentenced on July 14 to 33 months in federal prison for accepting more than $315,000 in bribes and kickbacks for performing spinal surgeries at a now-defunct Long Beach hospital whose owner was imprisoned for committing workers’ compensation insurance fraud.
David Payne, 65, of Irvine, was also fined $20,000 and ordered to forfeit $316,597, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Mr. Payne was found guilty in March in downtown Los Angeles of one count each of conspiracy and use of an interstate facility in aid of bribery, and two counts of honest services wire fraud.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Michael Drobot—the owner of Pacific Hospital—conspired with doctors, chiropractors, and marketers to pay kickbacks and bribes in return for the referral of patients to the hospital for spinal surgeries and other medical services….