WASHINGTON: Two Pakistani nationals had been indicted in the US for his or her alleged function in a $10 million healthcare fraud scheme that focused Medicare and personal insurance coverage packages, the Division of Justice (DOJ) stated on Thursday.
In accordance with a statement by the DOJ, Burhan Mirza, 31, and Kashif Iqbal, 48, together with a number of co-schemers, had been accused of submitting fraudulent claims for medical providers and tools that had been by no means supplied.
The alleged scheme operated throughout 2023 and 2024 and concerned nominee-owned laboratories and sturdy medical tools suppliers, it stated.
The DOJ added that three different alleged co-schemers had already pleaded responsible within the case: Mir Akbar Khan, 57, of West Chicago, who admitted recruiting nominee homeowners for the pretend medical companies; Fasiur Rahman Syed, 47, an Indian citizen who resided in Chicago; and Navaid Rasheed, 43, a Pakistani citizen who lived in Plano, Texas.
All three had been awaiting sentencing, it stated.
The assertion quoted the indictment as saying that Mirza, a Pakistani nationwide residing in Pakistan, allegedly obtained figuring out data of people, healthcare suppliers and insurers with out their information. Mirza used this data to help false claims submitted to Medicare and personal insurers on behalf of the nominee-owned firms, it stated.
The indictment additional stated that Iqbal, additionally a Pakistani nationwide, resided in Lavon, Texas, on the time of the alleged offenses. It stated he was related to a number of sturdy medical tools firms that submitted fraudulent claims to insurers. He was additionally accused of laundering the proceeds of the fraud and coordinating the switch of funds from the US to Pakistan, it added.
“Rooting out fraud is a precedence for this Justice Division,” Deputy Legal professional Normal Todd Blanche was quoted as saying by the DOJ assertion, including that the defendants had allegedly stolen thousands and thousands of {dollars} from a program designed to supply healthcare to American seniors and folks with disabilities.
Northern District of Illinois Legal professional Andrew S. Boutros stated the alleged conduct went past monetary loss to the federal government.
“The defendants did not simply steal from a authorities program; they stole from taxpayers who funded the promise of healthcare on this nation,” he stated.
The indictment charged Mirza with 12 counts of healthcare fraud and 5 counts of cash laundering. Iqbal faces 12 counts of healthcare fraud, six counts of cash laundering and one depend of creating a false assertion to US legislation enforcement authorities. Arraignments haven’t but been scheduled.
The DOJ emphasised that the indictment contained allegations solely and that each one defendants had been presumed harmless till confirmed responsible in a court docket of legislation.
