18 Indicted In Separate Medicare Schemes
DETROIT (WWJ) - Federal investigators have indicted 18 people they say were involved in a series of separate health care schemes which billed for home heath and psychotherapy treatments, some of those for dead people.
The indictments also charge a Troy doctor who ran a home health company who billed for services for people even when she was out of the country, or for car that investigators say far exceeded what she could have done in a single day. The owner of a Detroit company is accused of billing Medicare for therapy for 56 dead people.
According to court documents, the 18 defendants indicted in district court tried to bilk Medicare for a total of $28 million, often for services never rendered.
"Health care fraud affects every American," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Andrew Arena, in a statement. "As Americans live longer, health care costs are expected to rise The FBI, together with its federal, state, and local partners, is working aggressively to pursue health care fraud criminals and bring them to justice."
Defendants charged include: Gerald R. Funderburg Jr., 31, of Southfield, Mich.; Marcus Jenkins, 49, of Farmington Hills, Mich.; Elizabeth Jenkins, 47, of Farmington Hills; Dr. Alphonso Berry, 50, of Orchard, Mich.; Tausif Rahman, 36, of Canton, Mich.; Zahir Yousafzai, 41, of Canton, Mich.; Javed Rehman, 48, of Farmington Hills; Muhammad aka "Sib" Ahmad, 33, of Ypsilanti, Mich.; Jawad Ahmad, 41, of Ypsilanti, Mich.; Dr. Dwight Smith, 58, of Detroit; Dr. Paul Kelly, 74, of Bath, Mich.; Rehan Khan, 38, of Canton, Mich.; Nabeel Shaikh, 29, of Wixom, Mich.; Janaki Chettiar, 36, of Farmington Hills; Jigar Patel, 27, of Madison Heights, Mich.; Anthony Parkman, 40, of Southfield; Hetal Barot, 28, of Canton; and Srinivas Reddy aka "Dr. Reddy", 35, of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
"These arrests are good news for American taxpayers and a powerful warning to health care ripoff artists," said Donald M. Berwick, M.D., Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
"In this instance, the system worked as it should: Medicare detected suspicious behavior and got the information quickly to law enforcement for appropriate follow-up. Together with our law enforcement partners, we helped minimize the theft of taxpayer dollars and maximize criminal consequences to thieves," he said.
Fifteen of the defendants were arrested Thursday morning, one defendant was arrested in July, and two defendants remain at large.
