Md. Doctor Performed Unnecessary Cardiac Procedures

Prosecutors say a federal jury has convicted a Salisbury cardiologist of six health care fraud offenses in connection with inserting unnecessary heart stents.

The U.S. Attorney's Office announced the conviction of 59-year-old Dr. John R. McLean on Tuesday. He was convicted of health care fraud and five counts of making false statements relating to health care matters. He will be sentenced in November.

According to testimony at his two-week trial in Baltimore, McLean performed cardiac catheterizations and implanted unnecessary cardiac stents in more than 100 patients at Peninsula Regional Medical Center . Prosecutors say he falsely recorded in the patients' medical records the existence or extent of coronary artery blockage, to justify the stent and the submission of claims to programs including Medicare and Medicaid.