DETROIT – Twenty-two Detroit-area residents were charged today for their roles in psychotherapy, home health care and infusion therapy schemes to submit more than $58 million in false billing to Medicare, announced the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services. Including these charges, Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in Detroit have charged a total of 164 individuals in cases involving approximately $244 million in fraudulent billings to Medicare.
The charges in Detroit are part of a nationwide takedown by Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in seven cities that led to charges against 107 individuals for their alleged participation in schemes to collectively submit more than $452 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare. This takedown involved the highest amount of false Medicare billing in a single takedown in Strike Force history.
“The results we are announcing today are at the heart of an Administration-wide commitment to protecting American taxpayers from health care fraud, which can drive up costs and threaten the strength and integrity of our health care system,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “We are determined to bring to justice those who violate our laws and defraud the Medicare program for personal gain. As today’s takedown reflects, our ongoing fight against health care fraud has never been more coordinated and effective.”
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Barbara L. McQuade stated, “A disturbing new trend we are seeing is the exploitation of adults in foster care. Providers bill Medicare for home health and psychotherapy services for disabled adults that are unnecessary or not provided.”
“Those who seek to steal from Medicare and exploit the system will be vigorously pursued and brought to justice,” stated Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Division Andrew G. Arena. “These arrests are the result of a tremendous amount of hard work by FBI and HHS-OIG agents.”
“Today’s indictments and arrests in the areas of home health care, psychotherapy, or infusion therapy fraud demonstrate that HHS-OIG agents will untangle even the most complex fraud schemes and hold those responsible accountable for their criminal actions,” said Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General for the Chicago Region, which includes Detroit. “Through collaboration with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will bring to justice those who waste Medicare’s limited resources and prevent the most vulnerable members of our society from receiving vital health care services.”
Court documents unsealed today in the Eastern District of Michigan charge defendants including owners and operators of companies, social workers, office employees, and patient recruiters with submitting fraudulent claims for services that were never rendered. Eighteen of the defendants were either arrested this morning or will be self surrendering this week and four defendants remain at large. In addition, law enforcement agents today executed search warrants at 9 locations and seizure warrants of 14 bank accounts related to the alleged fraud schemes. The following charges were unsealed:
United States v. Rahman, et al.
Five individuals were charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud for their roles in a $13.8 million scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting fraudulent claims for home health care services. One of the defendants was also charged with conspiracy to pay or receive kickbacks to refer Medicare beneficiaries for the fraudulent services. The indictment alleges that the fraudulent claims were submitted by four home health agencies operating in Livonia, Michigan: Physicians Choice Home Health Care, LLC; First Care Home Health Care, LLC; Quantum Home Care, Inc.; and Moonlite Home Care, Inc.
The defendants charged in the superseding indictment are: Bilal Akbar, 49, formerly of Canton, Michigan; Joann Terrell, 49, of Detroit; Madhur Thawani, 27, of Auburn Hills, Michigan; Shahzad Mirza, 41, of Canton, Michigan; and Ankit Patel, 27, of Plymouth, Michigan.
United States v. Mehmood, et al.
Two individuals were charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud for their roles in a $33 million scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting fraudulent claims for home health care services, as well as conspiracy to pay or receive illegal kickbacks. The indictment alleges that the fraudulent claims were submitted by four home health agencies operating in Ypsilanti, Michigan and Detroit, Michigan: Access Care Home Care, Inc.; Patient Care Home Care, Inc.; Hands On Healing Home Care, Inc.; All State Home Care, Inc.
The defendants charged in the superseding indictment are: Badar Ahmadani, 45, of Ypsilanti Michigan and Falusic Ashford, 47 of Detroit, Michigan.
United States v. Sharma, et al.
Four individuals were charged in an indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud for their roles in a $23 million scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting fraudulent claims for home health care services and psychotherapy services. Three of the individuals were also charged with conspiring to pay or receive illegal kickbacks. The indictment alleges that the fraudulent claims were submitted by three home health agencies and an adult day care center. The home health agencies operating in Madison Heights, Michigan and Sterling Heights, Michigan are: Reliance Home Care, LLC; First Choice Home Health Care Services, Inc.; and Associates in Home Care, Inc. The adult day care center operating in Detroit Michigan is Haven Adult Day Care Center, LLC.
The defendants charged in the indictment are: Sachin Sharma, 36, of Shelby Township, Michigan; Dana Sharma, 29, of Shelby Township, Michigan; Abdul Malik Al-Jumail, aka “Tony,” 52, of Brownstown, Michigan; and Felicar Williams, 49, of Dearborn, Michigan.
United States v. English, et al.
Six individuals were charged in an indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud for their roles in a $2.8 million scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting fraudulent claims for psychotherapy services. Two of the defendants are also charged with additional health care fraud counts. The indictment alleges that the fraudulent claims were submitted by an adult day care center operating in Flint, Michigan: New Century Adult Day Program Services, LLC.
The defendants charged in the indictment are: Glenn English, 52, of Detroit, Michigan; Gregory Lawrence, 54, of Detroit, Michigan; Richard Hogan, 65, of Flint, Michigan; Donald Berry, 65, of Detroit, Michigan; Felicia Marsh, 44, of Detroit, Michigan; and Jamie Moreau, 34, of Davison, Michigan.
United States v. Thompson, et al.
Two individuals were charged in an indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and additional counts of health care fraud for their roles in a $20 million scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting fraudulent claims for psychotherapy services. The indictment alleges that the fraudulent claims were submitted by two psychotherapy clinics and an adult day care center operating in Detroit, Michigan: TGW Medical, Inc.; Caldwell Thompson Manor, Inc. And P&C Adult Day Care Center, LLC.
The defendants charged in the indictment are: Louisa Thompson, 62, of Detroit, Michigan and Checarol Robinson, 41, of New Baltimore, Michigan.
United States v. Edwards, et al.
Two individuals were charged in an indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and additional counts of health care fraud for their roles in a $3 million scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting fraudulent claims for psychotherapy services. The indictment alleges that the fraudulent claims were submitted by a psychotherapy clinic operating in Southfield, Michigan and Detroit, Michigan: Funderburg Clinical and Community Services, Inc.
The defendants charged in the indictment are: Sanyani Edwards, 32, of Taylor, Michigan and Angel Williams, 27, of Southfield, Michigan.
United States v. Raymond Arias
Raymond Arias, 40, of Troy, Michigan was charged in an indictment with six counts of health care fraud for his leading role in a $12.5 million scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting fraudulent claims for infusion therapy treatments. The fraudulent claims were submitted by Arias’s clinic Elite Wellness, LLC, operating in Westland, Michigan.
The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations are part of the Health Care Fraud Prevention & Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), a joint initiative announced in May 2009 between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country.
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