Coeur d’Alene Physician Sentenced to 40 Months Imprisonment and $1.25 Million in Restitution for Involvement in Fraudulent Telemedicine Fraud Scheme

Yakima, Washington - On July 8, 2026, Chief District Court Judge Stanely A. Bastian sentenced defendant Dr. David Antonio Becerril of Coeur d' Alene, ID, age 70, to a 40-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison for his role in a nationwide telemarketing conspiracy to defraud Medicare. Dr. Becerril was convicted after a jury trial in September 2025 of 16 felony counts including Conspiracy to commit Health Care Fraud, Conspiracy to commit Wire Fraud, and multiple counts of Health Care Fraud, Wire Fraud, and False Statements Relating to Health Care Matters. Judge Bastian also ordered Dr. Becerril to pay restitution in the full amount he defrauded from Medicare, $1,250, 667.19, and ordered forfeiture in the form of a money judgment of $37,340, the amount which Dr. Becerril directly profited from the fraudulent scheme.

At trial, in September 2025, the United States presented evidence that between February 2018 and September 2019, Dr. Becerril, a licensed Washington physician, participated in a scheme and conspiracy to obtain millions of dollars by falsely billing Medicare for medically unnecessary genetic tests and durable medical equipment, including back, knee, shoulder, and ankle braces. The evidence at trial showed that while contracting with the fraudulent telemedicine and telemarketing company Real Time Physicians, LLC, ("Real Time") Dr. Becerril signed false and fraudulent orders for genetic tests and braces for elderly Medicare beneficiaries that Dr. Becerril had never seen, spoken to, heard of, or had any contact with whatsoever, and which included deceased patients as well as elderly patients who had no limbs for the braces they were prescribed by Dr. Becerril. Dr. Becerril reviewed the Real Time prescriptions for, on average, 26 seconds before signing them and falsely attesting to their medical necessity. Real Time paid Dr. Becerril $20 for each phony prescription he falsely certified to be used to fraudulently bill Medicare.

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Bastian remarked that while working for Real Time, Dr. Becerril performed no legitimate medical work and did not exercise any independent medical judgment. Doctors, like lawyers and judges, Judge Bastian pointed out, are trained to protect and maintain their licenses, protect their clients, and protect the system in which they operate, and Dr. Becerril failed to do that by essentially selling his medical license through his signature. Judge Bastian further agreed with the United States that through and even after trial, Dr. Becerril has been "steadfastly unapologetic" for his actions.

"Today's sentencing reflects the seriousness of Dr. Becerril's long-running scheme to defraud the taxpayer-funded Medicare program, which is designed to provide medically necessary care to patients, not enrich fraudster physicians," said Special Agent in Charge Robb R. Breeden of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Pacific Regional Office. "As Judge Bastian noted, Dr. Becerril's conduct amounted to selling his medical license 'for $20 a signature,' demonstrating his limitless greed and a callous disregard for his patients and taxpayers. HHS-OIG is proud of the relentless, collaborative work that brought this case to a successful conclusion. Working closely with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Washington, HHS-OIG will continue to aggressively investigate health care fraud allegations to protect federal health care programs and the millions of Americans who rely on them."

"This sentence shows our office's commitment to vigorously prosecute Medicare fraudsters and to hold them to account especially those who, like Dr. Becerril, violated their oaths and medical ethics for a buck at the expense of the taxpayer and the endangerment of the elderly and disabled," said First Assistant United States Attorney, Pete Serrano. "We are very proud of our continued partnership with HHS-OIG in ensuring that those who defraud our public health programs have to deal with the very real consequences of their fraudulent actions."

The case was investigated by Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney R. Pratten and Tyler Tornabene and Health Care Fraud Contractor Echo D. Fatsis.

1:23-CR-02029-SAB

Verdict Press Release can be found here.