New Jersey Court Sentences Filipino Green Card Holder Doctor to Seven Years for $24-Million Medicare Fraud

A Filipino-Canadian doctor has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his role in a multi-million-dollar health care fraud scheme that defrauded the U.S. Medicare system.

The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Susan Wigenton of the District Court of New Jersey against Dr. Alexander Baldonado, who was convicted of multiple fraud and conspiracy charges earlier this year.

Conviction and Penalties

Baldonado was convicted on February 10, 2025, of health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and for offering, paying, soliciting, and receiving health care kickbacksthrough laboratory testing and durable medical equipment, as well as solicitation of health care kickbacks.

He was sentenced to 84 months (seven years) of imprisonment and ordered to pay a $1,000 special assessment feeand $2,210,384.05 in restitution, both due immediately.

As a U.S. green card holder, the court directed Baldonado to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He is also required to undergo mental health treatment, provide financial and business disclosures, and comply with occupational restrictions following his conviction.

History of the Case

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Baldonado received tens of thousands of dollars in illegal cash kickbacks and bribes in exchange for ordering laboratory tests, including expensive cancer genetic tests, which were billed to Medicare by two laboratories in New York.

Prosecutors said that in 2020, Baldonado authorized hundreds of cancer genetic tests for Medicare beneficiaries who attended COVID-19 testing events at assisted living facilities, adult day care centers, and a retirement community. The doctor was not treating any of the patients, and in many cases never spoke to or examined them before ordering the tests.

He also billed Medicare for office visits that never occurred, and several beneficiaries testified during the trial that they did not know Baldonado and had never met or spoken to him. Some patients never received their test resultsafter the testing events.

Kickbacks and False Billings

In addition to the laboratory testing scheme, evidence showed that Baldonado received illegal cash kickbacks and bribes from the owner of a durable medical equipment (DME) supply company in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary orthotic braces for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

An undercover video presented in court showed Baldonado receiving a large sum of cash in exchange for signed prescriptions for orthotic braces.

The fraudulent activities led to more than $24 million in false Medicare billings, with over $2.1 million paid to the laboratories and DME suppliers involved in the scheme.