Local doctor sentenced to 10 years in prison

DETROIT (AP) -- A 67-year-old Detroit area physician has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on public corruption, illegal prescription drug trafficking and health care fraud charges. Gwendolyn Washington of Southfield was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Detroit. She and her sister, Sherry Washington, were accused of paying kickbacks to the Detroit Public Schools' former Risk Management director. Their company proposed $150,000 in fees for an employee health awareness program, but more than $3 million was paid to the company's four partners. The government says in a release that Gwendolyn Washington also admitted to performing unnecessary ultrasounds, nuclear cardiac stress and other tests on patients. Medicare and Blue Cross and Blue Shield were billed more than $5 million. Sherry Washington was sentenced last month to seven years in prison. Published: Wed, Nov 30, 2011