Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller on Monday announced charges against a Seattle anesthesiology resident and a civil settlement with a local medical practice as part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
Prosecutors filed a criminal complaint against 35-year-old Andrew Voegel-Podadera, a medical resident who worked at Seattle Children’s Hospital, Harborview Medical Center, and the University of Washington Medical Center.
According to federal officials, Voegel-Podadera allegedly diverted powerful opioid medications—including fentanyl and hydromorphone—for personal use over the course of at least a year.
Authorities say the resident sometimes used the drugs while still on duty, placing patients at risk during medical procedures.
“Diverting medicine away from infant patients is despicable, doubly so if the person involved is a doctor,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Seattle Field Division. “If Dr. Voegel-Podadera is convicted, it will show that he violated both his oath and the law.”
Federal prosecutors charged Voegel-Podadera with obtaining controlled substances by fraud.
In a separate case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reached a $1,115,976 civil settlement with Pinnacle Health PC, a Seattle-based practice offering regenerative medicine, acupuncture, and wellness services.
Investigators say the company billed Medicare and Tricare for an injectable product—FlowerAmnioFlo—without federal approval for the conditions it was used to treat.
Officials say the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) only approved a sheet form of the amniotic fluid product, not the injectable version, which was considered experimental.
The investigation found hundreds of thousands of dollars in billing submitted for unapproved treatments.
“This administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) referred the Pinnacle Health case for investigation.
Nationwide, the DOJ’s 2025 enforcement action resulted in charges against 324 defendants accused of participating in health care fraud schemes totaling more than $14.6 billion in false billings and the illegal diversion of over 15 million pills.
Federal agents seized more than $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets during the takedown.
The DOJ worked with law enforcement across dozens of states, including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, and the HHS-OIG, to prosecute cases and recover funds.
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” Bondi said.
The criminal charge against Voegel-Podadera is an allegation, and he remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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