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Texas Department of Insurance
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July 30, 2021

Texas doctor convicted of fraud, drug crimes

A North Texas doctor will pay $376,368 in restitution after pleading guilty to mail fraud conspiracy in federal court.

On July 22, 2021, Clinton Battle, M.D. of Arlington pleaded guilty to defrauding the federal workers’ compensation program and Texas workers’ compensation insurance carriers. Battle admitted to submitting fraudulent bills for physical therapy, office exams, and functional capacity evaluations for a period of five years starting in 2012.

During that time Battle mischaracterized services so he could bill at a higher rate. In several cases, Battle also billed for services that he claimed took longer than they actually did, were never conducted, or were conducted by unlicensed staff.

As a result of his guilty plea, Battle will be excluded from federal health care and workers’ compensation programs, which will eliminate his ability to be paid for services he provides or prescribes. In 2017, the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) decided Battle would no longer be allowed to treat patients in the state’s workers’ compensation system.

“To maintain the trust of injured employees in their care, medical professionals must bill accurately for services provided,” says Debra Knight, DWC’s Deputy Commissioner for Compliance and Investigations. “When insurance carriers endure losses from fraudulent claims, it impacts everyone, which is why DWC will continue to hold people accountable for these crimes.”

Earlier in July, a federal jury found Battle guilty of drug crimes including distribution of a controlled substance.

On October 28, 2021, he will be sentenced on all counts related to the conviction and the plea agreement. Battle faces up to 15 years in prison.

The DWC Fraud Unit, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Postal Service, and the IRS conducted these investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Weybrecht and Jay Weimer were the prosecuting attorneys.

You can report suspected workers’ compensation fraud by calling 1-844-FRAUD99 (1-844-372-8399) or visit www.tdi.texas.gov/wc/ci/wcfraud.html.

For more information, contact DWCCommunications@tdi.texas.gov.

Last updated: 7/30/2021