A federal jury found four pharmacy owners guilty of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. The defendants, hailing from Arizona, Ohio, Michigan, and Canada, were accused of billing Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for prescription medications they never dispensed.
The scheme involved pharmacies in Michigan and Ohio, resulting in over $13 million in losses to the healthcare programs.
Read: Venezuelan Migrant Says She’d ‘Return’ To Her Home Country After Living In Colorado
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Raef Hamaed, of Maricopa County, Arizona; Kindy Ghussin, of Greene County, Ohio; Ali Abdelrazzaq, of Macomb County, Michigan; and Tarek Fakhuri, of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, all licensed pharmacists, billed Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for prescription medications that they did not dispense at pharmacies they owned in Michigan and Ohio.
The defendants collectively caused over $13 million of loss to Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
Hamaed, Ghussin, Abdelrazzaq, and Fakhuri were convicted of conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud. Abdelrazzaq was also convicted of two counts of healthcare fraud, and Fakhuri was convicted of one count of healthcare fraud. Sentencing hearings will be set at a later date.
Hamaed, Ghussin, Abdelrazzaq, and Fakhuri face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy count and 10 years in prison on each healthcare fraud count.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Android Users: Download our free app to stay up-to-date on the latest news.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.