Victims seek payment as “Dr. Death” declares innocence
More than 500 former patients and their families had tiled claims against
Fata was branded by prosecutors as "the most egregious fraudster" in
Fata, nicknamed "Dr. Death" by his victims, is serving a 45-year sentence in a federal prison in
The 51-year-old prisoner told
"I am now fighting for my innocence," he said.
Meanwhile, an electronic records company hired by the
To be eligible for restitution, patients treated by Fata from 2005 through 2013 had to submit claims postmarked by Tuesday. The number may grow as more stream in by mail, said
Among those seeking repayment is
The arrest came too late, Howard said: 18 months of chemotherapy had already wrecked his liver and teeth. Howard had a liver transplant and plans to undergo surgery to replace all of this teeth. He said he filed a restitution claim for about
Howard said that sum doesn't come close to repairing Fata's damages. After Howard began chemotherapy, he lost his job and his house outside
"I went from being healthy and put on chemo to the condition I'm in now - post-liver transplant and fighting for my life," Howard said.
Other claims came from grieving family members such as
"He killed my mom," Zaremba said. "She had a very treatable disease. By the time he got done with her, she was taking 16 meds."
Zaremba is seeking reimbursement for a portion of
"My dad could have had much better life quality those last couple of years," she said.
Piligian said she has been through "voicemail hell" trying to track down proof of payment from health insurers - a factor that has made it difficult for other victims to file claims. She filed a claim for
Another 43 victims have had success filing civil suits against Fata and are sharing an
Hester, 62, said she suffers from rotting teeth, high blood pressure and organ damage. She said Fata diagnosed her with myelodysplastic syndrome, also known as preleukemia, and told her she was dying. She endured two and a half years of iron and intravenous immunoglobulin treatments, and gave away her possessions - even her wedding ring. Then she got a letter from federal prosecutors saying her treatments had been unnecessary.
Hester has requested repayment for more than
Fata, meanwhile, said these patients' medical problems are not his fault. He said he treated his patients appropriately, but when the federal government alleged he was mistreating them, it "created doubts in their mind."
Fata, who earned a medical degree in his native
Fata, the son of Christian missionaries, said he is working with a group of bornagain Christians who plan to publish a book entitled, "Convicted out of thin air: The true story of Dr.
"Just to hear that he still will not say, 'I'm guilty'" extends the suffering for everyone involved," she said. "It seems like we're being victimized over and over and over."
Former patients like Howard, meanwhile, said Fata has destroyed their faith in the medical system.
"I will never trust another doctor again as long as I live," Howard said. "I trusted this doctor with my life and he failed me."
-This story first ran in the
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