LOS ANGELES – On March 25, 2016, a  Monterey Park pediatric physician was sentenced to four years in custody and ordered to pay more than $132,500 in restitution to Medi-Cal after pleading no contest to insurance fraud and prescribing drugs with no legitimate medical purpose.

According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Dr. Thomas Lin, 46, was expected to surrender to begin his two-year jail sentence. Upon his release, he will be under mandatory supervision for the remaining two years of custody.

Prosecutors said Lin provided diet pills known as phentermine, a controlled substance, through his pediatrics clinic known as “Kid’s M.D.” in Monterey Park.

Over the course of several months in 2012, investigators from the California Medical Board posed as new patients and were able to secure phentermine with little or no physical examination by Dr. Lin. Investigators received the drug either by paying his front office staff or receiving the drug for free.

Lin pleaded no contest in December to the two felony charges.

“California Medical Board investigators know the very important role physicians have in keeping us healthy.  Prescribing drugs when no legitimate medical purpose is present or diagnosed is a serious issue that puts people’s health at risk,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  “Physicians take an oath to perform their medical duties with conscience and as undercover investigators determined, that is not always the case.  When laws are broken, our state investigators will work with local district attorney’s  offices and see that justice is served.”