January 14, 2010: Springfield Anesthesiologist Charged with Falsifying Medical Research

BOSTON, MA—The former chief of acute pain at Bay State Hospital in Springfield, Massachusetts was charged today in federal court with falsifying medical research studies, including studies that were published in medical journals regarding pain management.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Mark Dragonetti, Resident Agent in Charge of the Food & Drug Administration - Office of Criminal Investigations; Susan J. Waddell, Special Agent in Charge of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General; and Warren T. Bamford, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Division, announced today that SCOTT REUBEN was charged in an Information with one count of health care fraud.

The Information alleges that REUBEN solicited and obtained research grants from pharmaceutical companies to perform research studies on pain management, often associated with various surgical procedures, but that he did not actually perform the research studies. Instead he made up patient data, submitted it to medical journals and caused false articles to appear in a number of medical journals.

If convicted on this charge, REUBEN faces up to 10 years' imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Food & Drug Administration - Office of Criminal Investigations, Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Sternberg of Ortiz’s Health Care Fraud Unit.

The details contained in the Information are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.