A Fenton Township doctor already charged in a health care fraud case is now facing new counts.

Dr. April Tyler, Patrick Wittbrodt and Jeffrey Fillmore were all charged last year in U.S. District Court in Detroit with 18 counts of conspiracy and health care fraud. Fillmore was also charged with money laundering. Tyler is an osteopathic physician who owns and operates Fenton Creative Healthcare on North Long Lake Road, while Wittbrodt and Fillmore both worked out of the clinic selling compounded creams and other services. The indictment alleged the three executed a scheme to defraud Medicare and other health insurers by submitting or causing others to submit false claims for prescription pain creams, scar creams, pain patches and vitamins authorized by Dr. Tyler.

But in a superseding indictment filed July 30th, seven additional charges were filed against Dr. Tyler including unlawful possession and distribution of controlled substances. Prosecutors allege that Tyler wrote prescriptions to office employees and others for Vyvanse, an ADHD medication and stimulant that has amphetamine-like properties. Those people would then reportedly fill the prescriptions and return the drugs to Tyler so she could take them herself.

While she and Fillmore are scheduled for trial November 5th, Wittbrodt previously entered a guilty plea to a single count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and will be sentenced January 9th. If convicted, Tyler and Fillmore face up to ten years in prison on the felony counts, which each carry fines of up to $250,000. (JK)