A New York doctor who used pandemic-era testing events as a cover to defraud Medicare out of millions has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison.
Dr. Alexander Baldonado, 69, of Queens, was sentenced on October 23 for orchestrating a sprawling scheme that involved “ghost” patients, unnecessary cancer screenings, and cash bribes caught on undercover video. In addition to his prison term, the court ordered him to pay over $2.2 million in restitution.
The scheme, which prosecutors say generated more than $24 million in fraudulent claims, largely preyed on elderly participants at COVID-19 testing events in 2020. According to evidence presented at trial, Baldonado authorized hundreds of expensive cancer genetic tests for seniors at assisted living facilities and retirement communities.
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The issue, prosecutors argued, was that Baldonado was not treating these patients. In many instances, he never examined or even spoke to the people he was testing. He simply used their information to bill Medicare for the high-cost lab work and for “lengthy office visits” that never actually happened.
During the trial earlier this year, several Medicare beneficiaries testified that they had never met Baldonado and did not know who he was. Even worse, the doctor rarely contacted patients with the results of the genetic tests he ordered, leaving them in the dark regarding their own medical data.
The fraud extended beyond the lab. Investigators revealed that Baldonado accepted cash kickbacks from the owner of a medical supply company in exchange for ordering unnecessary orthotic braces. The jury was shown undercover video footage of the doctor accepting a large sum of cash in exchange for signed brace prescriptions.
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While the total fraudulent billings topped $24 million, Medicare paid out approximately $2.2 million before the scheme was halted.
Baldonado was convicted by a jury in February 2025 on multiple counts, including conspiracy to commit health care fraud and solicitation of kickbacks. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
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