On Monday, March 23, 64-year-old Kutub Mesiwala of Bloomfield Hills pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, according to a recent news article at Mlive.com. Mesiwala was allegedly involved in a scheme in which he exploited Medicare by referring patients to a home health agency located in Detroit who paid him kickbacks, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Mesiwala and owner of Advance Home Health Care Services Amer Ehsan were both involved in the scheme in which Medicare was billed for services to patients that were either never provided to those patients, or unnecessary. In all, the referrals by Mesiwala to the Advance Home Health Care Service resulted in billings paid to the home health care agency in an amount exceeding $770,000. Investigators also found that other agencies had received more than $118,000 from the fraudulent Medicare billings.
In July of last year, Amer Ehsan pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit fraud after collecting more than $3.5 million in Medicare billings. He is scheduled for sentencing on June 16. Mesiwala is scheduled to be sentenced October 5.
Michigan criminal defense attorneys know that while crimes such as the one above are not generally considered violent, the stakes are still high – and the penalties severe for those convicted. Health care fraud is a fairly common offense, however those involved may face substantial fines, prison time, and a felony criminal record if found guilty. In addition, doctors or others who hold professional or medical licenses may lose their license, and the privilege to practice in the medical field. It is not uncommon for those convicted to face hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines/restitution, and several months to several years in prison.
If you are under investigation for Medicare or health care fraud, do not wait until you are arrested or charged before contacting a qualified Michigan criminal defense attorney. It is important to begin working on your case immediately to ensure your legal rights are protected.