Podiatrist Charged With Theft, Insurance Fraud Over Surgeries

A podiatrist who operates three Los Angeles-area clinics was arraigned Wednesday on fraud and grand theft charges in connection with performing allegedly unnecessary foot operations.

Dr. Brian Douglas Carey, 44, pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles Municipal Court to nine counts of insurance fraud, grand theft and attempted grand theft involving $77,000 worth of services on five patients between August and November.

In court papers filed Wednesday, Lon Malcolm, a special investigator for the state Board of Medical Quality Assurance, charged that Carey bilked insurance companies by “substantial overbilling for services not rendered as well as for performing surgeries that were not requested and which were unnecessary.”

In one case, Malcolm said, Carey removed a bone from a patient’s toe--thus rendering it useless. The patient, Malcolm said, had visited Carey for a painful corn.

In another case, Carey allegedly removed a patient’s toenail, even though the patient had consulted the doctor only about scaling and itching on the bottoms of his feet.

Carey is also the target of seven civil malpractice lawsuits, faces state administrative action for improper medical practices, and has been previously charged with 40 still-pending felony counts involving more than $100,000 that he allegedly attempted to take illegally from insurance companies, Malcolm said.

The podiatrist was free on bail awaiting a preliminary hearing on the previous felony counts when he allegedly committed the new offenses.

Carey was arrested Tuesday at his Beverly Hills clinic on Santa Monica Boulevard, Deputy Dist. Atty. Albert H. MacKenzie said. His other clinics are on West Manchester Avenue in Los Angeles and East Manchester Avenue in Inglewood.

Municipal Judge Xenophon F. Lang scheduled a Jan. 2 preliminary hearing and set bail at $50,000.