PORTLAND – U.S. Attorney Paula Silsby announced Monday that her office had reached a civil settlement with a Bangor podiatrist over improper billing for Medicare services.

Dr. Douglas F. Reynolds and his business, Acadia Foot & Ankle, paid more than $52,500 for outstanding claims, she said in a press release.

Silsby’s office alleged that in 2001 and 2002 Reynolds knowingly submitted false claims to Medicare when his office billed for a podiatry service called “debridement.” Under Medicare definitions, the procedure involves removal of the diseased part of a toenail.

Government attorneys alleged that the bills were false because the service actually was performed by an assistant with no formal training or certification.

The Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Health & Human Services and the U.S. Attorney’s Office conducted the investigation, Silsby said.