An Indian-origin woman has pleaded guilty to charges of unlawfully distributing controlled substances and healthcare fraud, US Attorney Scott Brady said.

Madhu Aggarwal, 68, of Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to the charges before United States District Judge Arthur Schwab. Aggarwal, a physician who practiced at a clinic in Pennsylvania, and others conspired together to create and submit unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances such as buprenorphine and then unlawfully dispensed those substances to other persons.

Aggarwal is also charged with healthcare fraud for allegedly causing fraudulent claims to be submitted to federal insurance programme Medicare for payments to cover the costs of the unlawfully prescribed buprenorphine. Schwab scheduled the sentencing for November, when she will face a sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of USD 500,000 for the controlled substances offenses. Aggarwal faces an additional maximum imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of USD 250,000 for the healthcare fraud charge.