A Dearborn pharmacist accused of prescribing medication to dead people and billing Medicare and Medicaid is now facing serious consequences.
Haytham "Tom" Fakih is no stranger to the spotlight. Local 4 interviewed him in April after he began using halal meat in his Sonic restaurant in Dearborn. His restaurant received national attention for the move.
Now, Fakih is back in the news. Federal prosecutors said he is accused of cheating Medicare and Medicaid by charging for medication prescribed to dead people from his Dearborn pharmacy, Trudell Health Mart Pharmacy.
Local 4 obtained the 13-page affidavit, in which prosecutors list a criminal complaint against the pharmacist. It says he was part of a fraud operation costing more than $1.2 million.
Michael Pemberton, an agent with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said in the complaint that Fakih submitted false and fraudulent claims through interstate wires from Michigan to Medicare and Medicaid.
The investigation dates back to 2012. The different types of drugs listed include medication to treat asthma, acid reflux, arthritis, shingles and bipolar disorder. Pemberton said both Medicare and Medicaid paid Health Mart Pharamcy about $1.2 million.
Local 4 attempted to contact Fakih at his home, but no one answered. He was released on Sunday with a $10,000 bond. If found guilty, he could spend up to 10 years in prison.
ORIGINAL: Dearborn pharmacist charged in $1.2 million health care fraud scheme