Dr. Franklyn Collier Jones, 55, billed Medicare for surgeries that he hadn’t performed, only performing routine foot care on his patients

A Fresno podiatrist could face a decade in prison after pleading guilty to health care fraud.

According to federal court records, Dr. Franklyn Collier Jones, 55, billed Medicare for surgeries that he hadn’t performed, only performing routine foot care on his patients. As part of his plea, Dr. Jones agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $10,876.15.

According to court records, between 2010 and April 2015, Jones had “engaged in a scheme to defraud a heath care benefit program, namely the Medicare program.”

“In particular, on Feb. 6, 2015, Jones submitted to Medicare a bill for service provided to [a patient] on Jan. 14, 2015, for a matrixectomy on the right foot, fifth digit, and this claim was paid on or about Feb. 13, 2015,” the document said. “Jones did not in fact provide a matrixectomy to the patient on that date.”

A matrixectomy is a podiatric procedure to remove part of an ingrown toenail from a patient.

The case was the result of an FBI investigation, with Mark J. McKeon, an assistant US Attorney, prosecuting the case. Jones is scheduled to appear by Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill on Jan. 16, 2018. Jones could receive a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine. Actual sentencing will depend on the discretion of court after taking certain variables into consideration.