US court orders home detention for Filipino doctor facing medical fraud raps

NEW YORK - A Filipino-Canadian and US permanent resident is now under home detention after the District Court of New Jersey modified his conditional release.

Dr. Alexander Baldonado was indicted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for alleged $20.7 million healthcare fraud. He was initially released on a $200,000 bail.

The charges against Baldonado include conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, healthcare fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and soliciting healthcare kickbacks, totaling over $20.7 million.

Court documents allege that Baldonado received cash kickbacks from a laboratory representative and others for approving orders for laboratory tests billed to Medicare.

Additionally, Baldonado is accused of authorizing COVID-19 tests and expensive, medically unnecessary cancer genetic tests at COVID-19 testing events. These tests were allegedly not requested by patients, not used in treatment, and rarely yielded results. He is also accused of billing Medicare for lengthy office visits he did not provide.

Pretrial Services Officer Erika DiPalma filed a petition for action on the conditional release of Baldonado due to multiple violations of his release conditions. According to court documents, Baldonado did not comply with the curfew hours set by the court and displayed combative behavior towards officers.

As a result, the court ordered home detention for Baldonado, ensuring stricter monitoring and compliance with his release conditions.

Under New Jersey District Court Judge Susan Wigenton's home detention order, Baldonado is restricted to his residence at all times except for verifiable employment, education, religious, medical, substance abuse, or mental health treatment.

The court also allows attorney visits, court appearances, court-ordered obligations, or other activities pre-approved by the pretrial services office or supervising officer.

The court warned Baldonado that any violation of these conditions could result in the immediate issuance of a warrant for his arrest, revocation of his release, incarceration, and forfeiture of his bond.

After the hearing, reporters including this writer tried to get Baldonado's side but he refused to grant any interview or give a statement.

The Filipino American Press Club of New York and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines called out Baldonado after he harassed members of the press who filed news reports based on the national press release of the US Department of Justice about his indictment. —KG, GMA Integrated News