YOUNGSTOWN - A second Valley doctor has pleaded guilty to federal charges filed in connection with a  Medicaid fraud and kickback investigation that brought charges against two other doctors.

Dr.Joni Canby appeared in U.S. District Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Solicit, Receive, Offer and Pay Kickbacks in Connection with a Federal Health Care Program, and two counts of Conspiracy to Solicit, Receive, Offer and Pay Kickbacks in Connection with a Federal Health Care Program.

As part of a plea deal, other charges were dropped. Sentencing is scheduled for March 17, 2022.

Canby, as well as Doctor Michelle Kapon and OBGYN Samir Wahib, were all charged in January in connection with an alleged Medicare and Medicaid kickback scheme for testing that was not medically necessary.

Kapon has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to solicit, receive, offer, and pay kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program and two counts of receipt of kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program.  Sentencing for Kapon is scheduled for February.

According to court documents, Kapon, of Youngstown, and OBGYN Canby, of Poland, received kickbacks from Wahib after sending samples from their patients to him for gonorrhea and chlamydia testing.

Investigators say that Wahib, f Canfield, paid $20 in kickbacks to Canby and $15 to Kapon for every specimen they sent to him.  Wahib would, in turn, allegedly submit claims to the federal government for payment of the tests.

The government claims the payments were disguised as “physician coverage” on checks from Wahib’s business account.

Between 2014 and 2017, Wahib paid $31,520 to Kapon and Canby, while Wahib submitted 42 related claims to Medicare and Medicaid, according to investigators.

Wahib has pleaded not guilty to 11 counts, including Conspiracy to Solicit, Receive, Offer and Pay Kickbacks in Connection with a Federal Health Care Program, Offering or Paying Kickbacks in Connection with a Federal Health Care Program, Conspiracy to Commit Health Fraud, Health Care Fraud, and Obstruction of a Criminal Investigation of Federal Health Care Offenses.