Alabama chiropractor pleads guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud

A chiropractor, who was indicted for falsifying results of Department of Transportation physicals, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Dr. Kenneth Edwards entered the guilty plea on June 13 at U.S. District Court in Montgomery, Ala. Edwards had been charged with submitting falsified DOT-mandated commercial driver’s license medical examinations to FMCSA’s national registry.

Edwards, who worked out of an office in Phenix City, Ala., was arrested in February after being indicted by a federal grand jury. The indictment alleged that Edwards and his employees orchestrated a scheme to submit false documents to the DOT.

According to the indictment, Edwards and his staff did not perform physicals that were up to DOT standards but still sent forms to the DOT that “falsely certified the truck drivers had passed all of the DOT physical exam requirements.”

Edwards’ employees, Joann Bush and Andrea Daigle, also were indicted.

Edwards was removed from the FMCSA’s National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners in December.

In late March, the FMCSA announced that 2,103 drivers who received medical certificates from Edwards would have to take another exam to stay compliant. FMCSA sent letters to the drivers, who had 30 days to retake the exam. Most of the affected drivers were from Georgia, Alabama and Florida.