Indian-origin CFO gets four-month jail term, fine for bribing surgeons

An Indian-born CFO of a spinal implant company, Aditya Humad, received a four-month jail sentence and a $9,500 fine for bribing surgeons. Additionally, he must undergo a year of supervised release. Humad pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the anti-kickback statute. Along with SpineFrontier's CEO, Kingsley Chin, Humad conspired to pay bribes totaling over $540,000 to surgeons, often in the form of sham consulting fees for work they did not perform.

These bribes were intended to encourage surgeons to use SpineFrontier's products in surgeries, resulting in significant revenue for the company. This scheme exploited Medicare, Medicaid, and the Veterans Health Administration, among other public programs. Humad and SpineFrontier entered into contracts paying surgeons between $250 and $1,000 per hour, ostensibly for technical feedback, while the surgeons provided minimal actual consulting.

The US Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts, has been pursuing this case for years, and authorities have recovered over $4 million from the executives, their companies, and the bribed physicians.