More Charges Filed Against Cancer Specialist Fata
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - A grand jury has loaded more charges on a Detroit-area cancer specialist accused of giving unnecessary treatments to patients to enrich himself through Medicare.
Dr. Farid Fata, 48, now faces 13 additional counts — including fraud, conspiracy to receive kickbacks and fraud during the citizenship process.
In a superseding indictment, U.S. prosecutors say Fata gave one of his patients 155 chemo treatments over two-and-a-half years — even though the patient never had cancer. Other patients, they say, were pumped with unnecessary blood therapy and iron treatments.
The government claims the scheme bilked Medicare of about $225 million.
[View a copy of the indictment]
Defense attorney Chris Andreoff says he hasn't seen the new indictment and declined to comment Wednesday.
Fata, a native of Lebanon, could lose his U.S. citizenship if the government proves he was committing health fraud when he applied in 2008.
Fata has been behind bars for six weeks. A judge will consider lowering his bail, now set at $9 million, at an Oct. 2 hearing.
Fata, a resident of Oakland Township, owns and operates Michigan Hematology Oncology Centers (MHO) which has offices in Clarkston, Bloomfield Hills, Lapeer, Sterling Heights, Troy and Oak Park.
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