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Doctor Tied To Menendez Remains Jailed On Medicare Charges

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WEST PALM BEACH (CBSMiami/AP) —  A Florida doctor, charged in a political corruption case involving a New Jersey Senator, will remain behind bars.

Meantime, lawyers will try to negotiate his bond.

Sixty-year-old Dr. Salomon Melgen made a brief court appearance Wednesday in West Palm Beach, shackled and slightly disheveled after a night in jail.

Already charged in a New Jersey corruption case linked to Senator Robert Menendez, Melgen was hit with a 76-count Medicare fraud indictment Tuesday. He's accused of trying to bilk the health care program out of as much as $190 million.

A government attorney deemed Melgen a flight risk, an issue likely to be raised when he returns to court Thursday for a detention hearing. Melgen's attorney says the surgeon has serious health issues and was due to have a biopsy Friday.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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