A federal indictment was unsealed today
in Detroit charging two individuals for their participation in a series of
separate Medicare fraud schemes involving home health services, United States
Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced.
McQuade was joined in the announcement
by Acting Special Agent in Charge Edward Hanko of the FBI’s Detroit Field
Office and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh, III of the HHS-OIG Office of
Investigation.
Charged in the indictment were Usha
Shah, 63, and Deepak Shah, 63, both of West Bloomfield, Michigan. According to
the indictment, the Shahs were allegedly involved in fraudulent claims
submitted to Medicare totaling more than $8.8 million through their company,
Miracle Home Health of Southfield, for home health care services that were
medically unnecessary and/or never provided.
In addition, the court documents allege
that the Shahs engaged in a conspiracy to pay cash kickbacks in return for
obtaining Medicare beneficiaries’ whose Medicare identifications were used to
bill the Medicare program.
U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade said,
“Medicare fraud cheats taxpayers out of money intended to pay for health care.
We want providers to know that we are scrutinizing billing records to root out
fraud.”
FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge
Edward Hanko said, “Those who seek to steal from the medicare system and
collect millions of dollars illegally must be brought to justice. These types
of crimes motivated by greed will continue to be investigated vigorously by the
FBI and our law enforcement partners.”
“The payment of kickbacks in exchange
for the referral of Medicare beneficiaries is illegal,” said Lamont Pugh, III
Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Region of the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “The OIG will continue to work
with our law enforcement partners to hold those who participate in this type of
illegal activity accountable.”
An indictment is only a charge and is
not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will
be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being prosecuted by
Assistant United States Attorney Philip A. Ross. The investigation was
conducted jointly by the FBI and HHS-OIG.
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