Lindsay Lohan's Dad Michael Arrested

Actress Lindsay Lohan's father, Michael Lohan, was arrested on Friday and accused of taking illegal kickbacks to refer patients to a substance abuse treatment center. According to a report by The Associated Press, police in West Palm Beach, Florida, took Lohan in on five counts of patient brokering and one count of conspiracy to commit patient brokering. The 60-year-old has denied the allegations through his lawyer.

Police in the West Palm Beach area have reportedly created a task force to conduct an extensive investigation into patient brokering in the area, and Lohan is the 117th person arrested thanks to their efforts. Florida law prohibits health care providers from paying a commission for the referral of patients, yet authorities say that a center called Pride Recovery in Delray Beach has paid over $27,000 to Lohan — either personally or through a business he was associated with called Lola Recovery Ventures of Palm Beach Gardens. The practice has also been linked to instances of fraud where rehab centers were reimbursed for performing costly and unnecessary tests on patients with health insurance.

"Patient brokering corrupts our health care system because decisions are motivated by greed instead of a patient's needs," said Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg. Lohan's attorney, Heidi Perlet, said that her client is being wrongly maligned for a career of service to others.

"Michael Lohan has helped countless individuals suffering from addiction issues," she said. "Michael should be applauded for his efforts in saving lives, not arrested for them... Michael is looking forward to having his day in Court where the whole truth, not the narrative put forth by the State Attorney's Office, comes out."

Lohan was taken into custody in Palm Beach County Jail, though it is not clear if he was offered bail or paid it. He has had several prior entanglements with the law, including allegations of domestic violence. Lohan has also had his own highly publicized problems with addiction; in 2011, he appeared on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew Season 5 on VH1.

Lohan remains estranged from his famous daughter, who first cut off contact with him in 2007, according to an interview with Allure at the time. She told the outlet simply: "I don't speak to him," and the following year, she told Marie Claire that her father was always "very unpredictable." She also told Harper's Bazaar: "He's not a bad guy. He's just making bad choices." So far, Lindsay has not commented on her father's arrest.