18 Charged In Medicare Fraud Schemes In Detroit

DETROIT – Eighteen people have been charged in a series of separate Medicare fraud schemes involving home health and psychotherapy services.

According to court documents unsealed in U.S. District Court in Detroit, the separate schemes allegedly involved a total of more than $28 million in fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare for services that were medically unnecessary and/or never provided.

Federal law enforcement agents have executed search warrants at 11 locations and seized warrants of 28 bank accounts related to the alleged fraud schemes.

• Funderburg Indictment
• Medicare Fraud Indictment
• Medicare Criminal Complaint

Fourteen individuals are charged in one indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud for their roles in a $14 million scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting fraudulent claims for home health care services. The defendants include three physicians, four clinic owners and managers, two clinic employees, one nurse and four physical therapists and physical therapy assistants.

According to court documents, the conspiracy was operated out of multiple home health agencies located in Livonia, Mich., including Physicians Choice Home Health Care LLC, First Care Home Health Care LLC, Quantum Home Care Inc. and Moonlite Home Care Inc.

In a separate complaint unsealed Thursday, a physician and two other individuals are charged with health care fraud and the submission of false claims in connection with an approximately $11.5 million scheme to defraud the Medicare program. The scheme allegedly involved false billings for individual and group psychotherapy services at two clinics located in Detroit, Quality Recreation and Rehabilitation Inc. and Procare Rehabilitation Inc. According to court documents, the defendants billed Medicare for services that were medically unnecessary and/or never provided.

In another indictment unsealed yesterday, the owner of a medical clinic located in Southfield, Mich., was charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud and identity theft for a scheme allegedly involving $2.9 million in fraudulent billings to Medicare. According to court documents, the clinic owner is alleged to have used the identities of Medicare providers and beneficiaries to bill for psychotherapy services that were medically unnecessary and never performed.

Defendants charged include:

• Jenkins, 49, of Farmington Hills
• 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, Mich.
• 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, Mich.
• Hetal Barot, 28, of Canton, Mich.
• Srinivas Reddy aka "Dr. Reddy", 35, of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.