The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) has immediately suspended the medical license of Chilakamarri Ramesh, M.D., based on his felony conviction.

On Aug. 18, 2009, in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, Ramesh, 55, was convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Naturalization Fraud, a felony. As a result, Ramesh was sentenced to imprisonment for a period of ten months and ordered to pay a total of $30,100.00 in court assessments and fines. The conviction was based on Ramesh knowingly submitting government documents claiming that he had performed mental examinations on patients and that these patients had mental defects rendering them exempt from certain United States citizenship naturalization requirements.

On Sept. 23, 2009, MDCH issued an order summarily suspending Ramesh's license pursuant to the Public Health Code, which provides for the mandatory summary suspension of a health professional's license upon the conviction of a felony, a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for a maximum term of two years, or a controlled substance-related conviction.

For more information on disciplinary actions taken by the health professional licensing boards within MDCH, please go to http://www.michigan.gov/mdch, and click on Health Systems and Licensing.