Indian-American doctor jailed for 8 years

WASHINGTON - An Indian-American doctor has been sentenced to eight years in prison for her role in a health care fraud scheme that earlier resulted in a 15-year prison sentence for her husband.

Kemah, Texas-based Kiran Sharma, 56, pleaded guilty in April 2010, admitting that she and her husband, Arun Sharma, billed Medicare, Medicaid and several private health care providers from 1998 to 2009 for medical procedures that weren’t performed.

During that time, they submitted bills for reimbursement for medications and injections that were never administered, prosecutors said.

Arun Sharma was sentenced Feb 1.

In addition to their prison terms, the couple was ordered to forfeit more than $43 million - including their $700,000 home in Kemah, more than $700,000 in cash that was discovered there, other real estate and several investment accounts.

Kiran Sharma was taken into federal custody Friday after the judge handed down the sentence.