A Detroit area doctor who intentionally misdiagnosed healthy people with cancer and treated them – was sentenced on July 10, 2015 to 45 years in prison.

Dr. F. Fata, 50, admitted to misdiagnosing patients and giving them unnecessary cancer treatments. He told some patients that they had a terminal blood cancer called multiple myeloma, while other patients with cancer suspect that he gave them the wrong treatment in order to milk their insurance companies.

Fata pleaded guilty to 13 counts of Medicare fraud, two counts of money laundering, and one count of conspiracy for paying or receiving kickbacks.

Prosecutors Say It's the Worst Case in History

Federal prosecutors referred to Fata as the most egregious fraudster in the history of the U.S. They said that Fata regarded his patients as profit centers, not as people.

Fata has agreed to hand over $17.6 million that he's collected from private insurance carriers and Medicare. According to the prosecutors, over 550 of Fata's patients received medically unnecessary infusions or injections.

The Michigan hematologist-oncologist was emotional in court, apologizing and saying that he was ashamed of what he did. Fata said that he violated the Hippocratic Oath and the trust of his patients.

As dozens of patients poured into the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District Court of Michigan to watch the doctor's sentencing, his apologies fell on deaf ears.

One of Fata's patients received chemotherapy treatments for 2.5 years, but he never actually had cancer. He wonders what Fata's motivation was. He said he didn't know what he ever did to the doctor.

Another patient said that the chemotherapy treatments were very painful and made him sick. The treatments were so strong that his teeth fell out and his jaw changed shape. After finding out years later that he didn't have cancer, he lost all but one tooth and with so many medical bills, he can't afford new teeth.

If you received a misdiagnoses that caused undue injuries, contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible!