Healthcare Compliance Perspective:
All offers of employment for any position within the facility should be contingent upon the results of a background check.
From January 2012 to May of 2017 (when the State of Michigan revoked the doctor’s medical license), he and his coconspirators engaged in a large-scale drug diversion scheme. Allegedly the doctor abused his medical license by writing medically unnecessary and highly addictive controlled substance prescriptions in return for cash payments. He commonly wrote prescriptions for controlled substances, to include Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen, Oxycodone HCl, Alprazolam, Carisoprodol and Promethazine/codeine syrup. According to the indictment, the doctor prescribed more than 2,700,000 dosage units of Schedule II, III and IV controlled substances during the course of the conspiracy. These controlled substances had a conservative street value in excess of $18,000,000. Agents seized more than $600,000 in cash during a search of the physician’s Novi home.
According to the indictment, “patient recruiters” were used to bring “fake patients” to the doctor’s office. These recruiters paid cash to acquaintances to act as patients for the doctor. The recruiters paid cash at each office visit for the prescriptions provided. The recruiters also paid cash to the “fake patients” for appearing for the medical visits. After a cursory examination or no examination at all, the doctor always prescribed the requested controlled substances
In addition to the drug diversion charges, the doctor faces three counts of healthcare fraud for billing Medicare for services not provided. The indictment further seeks to forfeit all proceeds from the doctor’s illegal activity, including $603,136 in cash seized from his home.
