A former state representative was sentenced to over six years in prison today for her role in a medical clinic fraud scheme.
Patricia Derges represented the Nixa area in the Missouri House of Representatives. She was sentenced to 75 months for fraud and five years for making false statements to investigators. The sentences will run concurrently.
Derges will have three years of supervised release after her sentence and pay $499,000 in restitution.
She was found guilty of 22 counts of wire fraud, illegal distribution of controlled substances and making false statements to investigators.
A federal trial jury convicted her of fraudulently receiving about $300,000 in federal COVID aid for her non-profit medical and dental clinic serving the poor, homeless and uninsured.
The funds Derges received were part of her $900,000 COVID-19 fraud scheme.
Derges was also convicted of selling fake stem cell treatments at medical clinics she operated in Springfield, Branson and Ozark – a scheme totaling about $200,000.
(Story by Joshua Pineda, Ozarks First)
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