Foot surgeon forced to DoorDash after dismissed indictment sues federal government for $50M

A doctor in Detroit is suing the federal government for $50 million in an effort to reclaim his name, after he said he was falsely charged with healthcare fraud, causing him reputational damage from which he’s never recovered.

Anthony Weinert, DPM, said he’s been unable to find work since a Sept. 2019 federal indictment was dismissed, resorting to working as a DoorDash driver to pay the bills.

After being charged with healthcare fraud, the foot surgeon—who goes by the nickname “The Sole Doctor”—lost his job at Henry Ford hospital.
The charges against him were voluntarily dismissed by prosecutors—but not until 2023, four years after the U.S. Department of Justice made the case against Weinert public.

In a press conference, Weinert’s attorney said that authorities acted despite a lack of “hard evidence” to show his client had done anything wrong, turning the man’s life upside down.

The tearful doctor also spoke, lamenting that “every night, I think about this,” adding that the loss of work has made it hard for him to support his family.

“I’m just not the same. I’m not the same as I was before that 9/11 of 2019 date,” Weinert said.

The legal battle against the federal government was said to have cost him his life savings—money he hopes to recoup should he win.

Ineligible for reimbursement

The criminal charges that haunt the doctor of podiatric medicine have carried real-world punishments that go beyond public shunning. Weinert said that, despite the case against him being dismissed, he is left unable to bill federal government programs for services, severely hindering any chance he has of holding a position as a surgeon at a hospital or operating his own practice.

It’s not clear if the lawsuit will resolve that issue.

For more on this case, read the coverage from WXYZ Detroit. The outlet has expert commentary on the lawsuit and reporters over there spoke directly with Weinert and his attorneys.