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News Release — June 9, 2004
MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA
June 9, 2004
Medical Board Obtains Suspension of
Riverside Physician's License
SACRAMENTO—Facing a formal Accusation of wrongdoing by the Medical Board of California, Rolling Hills physician Samar Sircar, M.D. signed a stipulation surrendering his license to practice medicine in California. The surrender, which was accepted by the Board's Division of Medical Quality on June 1, 2004, became effective on June 8, 2004.
Sircar is subject to disciplinary action under Business & Professions Code section 2236, in that he has been convicted of a crime substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a physician and surgeon. On March 8, 2002, in United States of America v. Samar Sircar, before the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Sircar was charged with mail fraud; aiding and abetting, causing an act to be done; and income tax evasion.
Charges against Sircar stemmed from his participation in a kickback scheme involving patient referrals from personal injury attorneys, the provision of medical reports favorable to the claims of the patients, the receipt of money from insurance companies in compensation of the patient claims, reliance of U.S. mails to receive the money, and failure to report the receipt of these funds, estimated at $225,147, to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as income subject to taxation in 1996. On March 18, 2002, Sircar pled guilty to felony tax evasion and on July 9, 2002, before the United States District Court for the Central District of California, he was sentenced to: five years' probation, to include six months in a home detention program, payment of back taxes in the amount of $56,795, and a payment of a special assessment of $200. This sentence was ordered to run concurrently with the sentence imposed for the mail fraud conviction.
Sircar is also subject to disciplinary action under Business & Professions Code sections 802.1 and 2234(a), for failing to report to the Medical Board the filing of felony charges and his conviction of two felonies within 30 days of each event.
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The mission of the Medical Board is to protect healthcare consumers through the proper licensing and regulation of physicians and surgeons and certain allied healthcare professions and through the vigorous, objective enforcement of the Medical Practice Act.
If you have a question or complaint about the healthcare you are receiving, the Board encourages you to visit its Web site at www.caldocinfo.ca.gov or for questions call the Consumer Information Line at (916) 263-2382, or with complaints call (800) 633-2322.
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