A leading US podiatric surgeon who would often appear in the news for his charitable gestures – he also ran a non-profit that provided shoes to homeless people, military veterans and schoolchildren – is suing the state for $50m, alleging he was falsely accused of healthcare fraud, causing him to lose his livelihood and reputation years after charges against him were dropped, reports WXYZ News.
Michigan’s Dr Anthony Weinert said he was still struggling to find work and clear his name, and was now working as a DoorDash driver (someone who delivers food as an independent contractor in their own vehicles) to support his family.
Weinert was among 53 people charged in 2019 with billing Medicare for unnecessary medical procedures, which cost him his reputation and two clinics, along with a supervisory surgical position at a big hospital.
“Without any real hard evidence, it turned into a federal indictment that turned his life upside down,” said attorney Nabih Ayad, who at a press conference announced the filing of a federal lawsuit against US Department of Health and Human Services agents.
The charges against Weinert were later voluntarily dismissed in December 2023, but Ayad said the doctor has suffered unimaginable emotional harm, being humiliated publicly and forced to spend his life savings on a legal battle.
Former patients said they supported what his quest for accountability.
“He deserves to clear his name. The government really did him wrong in this case. I can see they're looking out for taxpayers, Medicare and everything else, but someone really needs to step up and say hey, we were wrong,” said former patient Al Ayoub. “He would go out of his own pocket to buy shoes for people… this has taken a terrible emotional toll on him.”
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