Former Lafayette Doctor Wants To Stay Out Of Jail As Appeal To U.S. Supreme Court Considered

A former cardiologist from Lafayette wants to remain out of jail while his request to the U.S. Supreme Court is still pending.  Dr. Mehmood M. Patel is still apealing his health-care fraud conviction from 2009.  He was also sentenced to ten years in prison.

Dr. Mehmood M. Patel was convicted of fraud for allegedly billing insurers over more than two million dollars for unnecessary heart procedures.  Dr. Patel has been free since his sentence, while he has been working on appealing the court's ruling.

Dr. Patel's conviction has already been upheld by the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, and after asking for the court to take another look at the case, they declined.

Amy Adelson, who represents Dr. Patel, has asked the appeals court to let the doctor remain out of jail while he is waiting to learn whether or not the U.S. Supreme Court will hear his case.