Judge Orders Restitution for Victims of Ex-Clinic Owner in Louisiana

The former owner of a Baton Rouge, La., scoliosis treatment clinic has been ordered to pay more than $160,000 in restitution to the victims of his fraud.

Fifty-two-year-old Arthur Copes was convicted in July 2008 on eight counts of insurance fraud and sentenced to three years in prison in January 2009.

Copes was convicted following testimony from former patients who flew in from all over the country to testify against him.

State District Judge Tony Marabella also ordered Copes to pay $30,000 in fines and to make full restitution to several former patients and to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. Marabella set the restitution amount at $162,279.

Copes objected to some of the figures that made up the final amount and asked for more time to review the figures. The Advocate reports the judge denied that request.

Copes was originally arrested on 117 counts by the Attorney General’s office. At trial he Copes faced nine counts of insurance fraud and was found not guilty on count number two because of a question concerning the date on the indictment and the date on the billing paperwork presented at trial.

Information from: The Advocate, http://www.2theadvocate.com