U.S. authorities reported that Michael Lohan, the father of actress Lindsay Lohan, was arrested in Palm Beach County on Friday for receiving kickbacks for referring patients to medical centers, according to the Palm Beach Post. Michael Lohan (60) was taken into custody at the Palm Beach County jail on charges of five counts related to receiving kickbacks tied to patients and one count of conspiracy to receive kickbacks for referring patients to a medical center. Authorities stated that over $27,000 in bribes was directly paid either to Lohan or to a business entity linked to him.
Dave Aronberg, the state attorney for Palm Beach County, said in a prepared statement on Friday, "Mr. Lohan was investigated by our task force and was charged with accepting bribes to refer patients for drug treatment." He added, "Receiving kickbacks for referring patients to medical centers corrupts our healthcare system because decisions are driven by greed rather than the needs of the patient. This is the 117th arrest by our task force, and it won't be the last."
Under Florida law, it is illegal for a laboratory or healthcare provider to offer or pay a commission or bribe for patient referrals.
