Former Pain Clinic Doctor Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Money Structuring
TAMPA, Fla. – On March 16, 2022, Dr. Zachary Bird (51, Tampa) was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release, for structuring cash transactions to evade bank reporting requirements. As part of his sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $481,526.76, which represents the total amount of cash illegally structured in the case. A federal jury found Bird guilty of the offense on May 21, 2021. He was acquitted on other counts.
According to court documents, Bird operated Physicians Wellness and Pain Specialists, a pain management clinic, from May 2014 until it shuttered in June 2018. Bird used the proceeds he earned as a doctor to structure cash deposits for the purchase of a piece of real property in LaBelle, Florida. From February 6 through February 12, 2015, Bird structured 22 cash deposits, each under $10,000 and often occurring on the same day and minutes apart, totaling $193,175.76. Between March 10 and October 26, 2015, Bird structured another 38 cash deposits amounting to $288,351. In total, Bird structured $481,526.76 in cash deposits.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Tampa District Office. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. More information about this case can be found at https://www.flmd.uscourts.gov or https://ecf.flmd.uscourts.gov.
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