Chiropractor Joseph Wagner is Staying in Jail
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by: DrTirpak posted: May 31, 2012
Dr. Joseph Wagner’s trail of bad decisions has ended. Wednesday a federal judge denied the Dayton Beach Chiropractor’s release because of the risk that he might flee the country to the Dominican Republic. He was arrested on May 17th on charges stemming the raid on his clinic by the FBI in August of last year.
According to the Department of Justice Joseph Burrell Wagner is being held at the Orange County Jail and had a hearing at the Federal Court House in Orlando on charges of health care fraud and dispensing controlled substances from Wagner Chiropractic and Acupuncture Clinic in Daytona FL.
Chiropractor Joseph Wagner life’s spiral down has included, a divorce, relinquishing his medical license after the Department of Health filed an administrative complaint, and the loss of much of his assets including his office building.
His arrest in May thwarted his plan of escape to the Dominican republic. The FBI found in his luggage: a diploma from the medical school he graduated from in Dominican Republic, medical equipment, real estate documents, a recently purchased wedding ring, and documents on how to get married in that country. Dr. Wagner also had a bank account waiting for him there with over $3 million pesos, or about $80,000 US.
His is represented by defense attorney John E. Bergendahl who claimed Dr. Joseph Wagner has strong ties to the Daytona Beach area and is not a flight risk. One son is a member of the Volusia County Council and another Dr John Wagner is a local Chiropractor. After the FBI raid last August, Chiropractor John Wagner claimed that he does not speak to his father and had no idea what was happening at the Wagner clinic on Ridgewood.
The investigations started from a complaint to the Florida Department of Insurance Regulation after a personal injury patient stated she was instructed to fill out blank insurance forms. Several Insurance companies also filed complaints with the state that prompted an undercover investigation.
The undercover officer from the Personal Injury Protection Fraud Squad of the Florida Department of Financial Services visited Dr. Joseph Wagner’s Clinic, was treated and supplied with a prescription from medical doctor John P. Christensen. The officer never saw the MD. State Documents claim Dr. Christensen has been prescribing medications from multiple offices, located in several counties in Florida on the same days. His medical license was also suspended by an emergency order from the Department of Health.
The FBI took on the investigation in 2009, finding Dr. Joseph Wagner had distributed thousands of prescription pills after five minute office visits and an adjustment. It was claimed that he had pre-signed prescription pads from Dr. Christensen. Federal investigators stated Joseph Wagner DC charged patients without insurance $100 a month to prescribe drugs including hydrocodone and Xanax, he didn’t charge for the adjustment. Medicare and Insurance patients recieved the same treatment and their provders were billed for exams by a medical doctor.
If convicted, Dr. Joseph Wagner faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each charge.