DETROIT – Twenty-one people from at least 14 different cities in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties have been named in a doctor-run $250 million scheme that involved addicted patients and drug dealers agreeing to painful, unnecessary back injections in exchange for opioids, federal officials said.
More than 6.6 million doses of medically unnecessary opioids were distributed as part of the scheme, according to authorities.
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How scheme worked
The multi-state scheme, which ran from 2007 to 2018, involved doctors refusing to provide patients with opioids unless they agreed to unnecessary back injections, according to court documents.
Officials said patients either suffered from addiction or were drug dealers who wanted to obtain high-dosage prescription drugs, such as oxycodone.
The doctors working at the clinics agreed to work only a few hours a week to “stay under the radar” of the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to authorities. Those doctors were still among the highest prescribers of oxycodone in the state of Michigan, officials said.
Patients who wanted to obtain prescriptions had to submit to expensive and unnecessary back injections known as “facet joint injections,” according to federal officials. Doctors wanted to administer the injections because they’re among the highest-reimbursed procedures.
In some instances, patients experienced worse pain from the shots than the pain they originally went to the doctor to have treated, trial testimony established.
Some patients said they developed adverse conditions, including open holes in their backs. They agreed to these procedures only because they wanted to obtain pills, according to officials.
Evidence shows the doctors performed these injections on patients over several years and were paid more for facet joint injections than any other medical clinic in the United States, authorities said.
Lavish lifestyles
Officials said the proceeds of the scheme were used by the doctors to fuel lavish lifestyles.
Francisco Patino, a doctor and part-owner of the clinics, bought jewelry, cars and vacations, authorities said. He also paid UFC and other mixed martial arts fighters to promote his specialized diet program, according to officials.
Mashiyat Rashid, Patino’s business partner and part-owner of the clinics, bought private jet flights, court-side NBA Finals tickets and expensive real estate with money obtained through the scheme, court records show.
Other doctors involved in the scheme bought luxury cars, gold bars, indoor basketball courts and swimming pools, officials said.
More than $16 million in fraud proceeds was forfeited by the U.S. from the people involved, according to authorities.
16 sentenced
Twelve doctors and four others have been sentenced in connection with the scheme.
Here are the physicians who have already been sentenced:
- Tariq Omar, M.D., 63, of Oakland County
- Convicted at trial in 2020 for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, and health care fraud.
- Sentenced March 9 to eight years in prison and ordered to pay $24,243,603 in restitution.
- Joseph Betro, D.O., 60, of Oakland County
- Convicted at trial in 2020 for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, and health care fraud.
- Sentenced in February 2022 to nine years in prison and ordered to pay $27,417,516 in restitution.
- Mohammed Zahoor, M.D., 53, of Oakland County
- Convicted at trial in 2020 for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, and health care fraud.
- Sentenced in February 2022 to eight years in prison and ordered to pay $36,645,577 in restitution.
- Zahid Sheikh, M.D., 62, of Macomb County
- Sentenced to 70 months in prison, and ordered to pay $2,088,797 in restitution in connection with his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
- Abdul Haq, M.D., 76, of Ypsilanti
- Sentenced to four years in prison, and ordered to pay $6,927,046.12 in restitution in connection with his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
- Steven Adamczyk, M.D., 47, of Bloomfield Hills
- Sentenced to 42 months in prison, and ordered to pay $1,237,570.97 in restitution in connection with his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
- David Weaver, M.D., 67, of Canton Township
- Sentenced to three years in prison, and ordered to pay $229,500 in restitution in connection with his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
- Glenn Saperstein, M.D., 58, of Commerce Township
- Sentenced to 20 months in prison, and ordered to pay $2,722,760.95 in restitution in connection with his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
- Manish Bolina, M.D., 43, of Canton Township
- Sentenced to 20 months in prison, and ordered to pay $310,936.95 in restitution in connection with his guilty plea to one count of false statements.
- Hussein T. Saad, M.D., 42, of Dearborn
- Sentenced to 10 months in prison, and ordered to pay $415,207.54 in restitution in connection with his guilty plea to one count of false statements.
- David Yangouyian, M.D., 58, of Farmington Hills
- Sentenced to six months in prison, and ordered to pay $35,480.98 in restitution in connection with his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
- Spilios Pappas, M.D., 63, of Lucas County, Ohio
- Convicted at trial in 2020 for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, and health care fraud.
- Sentenced on March 9, to nine years in prison and ordered to pay $32,287,758 in restitution.
Here are the others who have been sentenced:
- Mashiyat Rashid, 40, of West Bloomfield
- Sentenced in March 2021 to 15 years in prison and ordered to pay over $51 million in restitution in connection with his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, and one count of money laundering.
- Yousef Almatrahi, 34, of Romulus
- The owner of a home health agency.
- Sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay $1,359,512.69 in restitution in connection with his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with his payment of illegal kickbacks for the referral of patients from the clinics for medically unnecessary home health services.
- Hina Qazi, 39, of Rochester Hills
- The owner of a home health agency.
- Sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $827,713 in restitution in connection with her guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with her payment of illegal kickbacks for the referral of patients from the clinics for medically unnecessary home health services.
- Joshua Burns, 43, of Detroit
- Sentenced to one-day in prison and ordered to pay $144,000 in restitution in connection with his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay and receive illegal kickbacks and bribes in connection with Patino’s referral of urine drug testing and sponsorship of MMA fighters.
Awaiting sentencing
Seven people are still awaiting their sentences, including three doctors.
- Francisco Patino, M.D., 66, of Wayne County
- Scheduled to be sentenced on his conviction after a one-month trial in 2021 on one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, two counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay and receive health care kickbacks, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and one count of money laundering.
- Yasser Mozeb, 39, of Hamtramck
- The office manager of the Tri-County clinics.
- Scheduled to be sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay and receive illegal kickbacks and bribes.
- Kashif Rasool, M.D., 46, of Troy
- Scheduled to be sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
- Tariq Siddiqi, 44, of Sterling Heights
- Scheduled to be sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with his payment of illegal kickbacks for the referral of patients from the clinics for medically unnecessary home health services.
- Tasadaq Ali Ahmad, 54, of Canton Township
- The owner of a home health agency, is scheduled to be sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay and receive kickbacks.
- Stephanie Borgula, 41, of Livonia
- A licensed physical therapist.
- Scheduled to be sentenced in connection with her guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
- Meiuttenun Brown, M.D., 51, of Toledo, Ohio
- Scheduled to be sentenced in connection with her guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Authorities weigh in
“It is unconscionable that doctors and health care professionals would violate their oath to do no harm and exploit vulnerable patients struggling with addiction,” said assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These are not just crimes of greed, these are crimes that make this country’s opioid crisis even worse -- and that is why the department will continue to relentlessly pursue these cases.”
“Patients look to physicians and medical professionals for their expertise and knowledge, trusting that they will do what is best to take care of them,” said assistant Director Luis Quesada, of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “In this circumstance, these medical professionals provided prescription drugs to those with no medical need. It is unacceptable that in this nation’s current opioid crisis, physicians and medical professionals are exploiting the well-being of their patients for profit. Thanks to the diligent work of the FBI and our law enforcement partners, we are able to navigate the important sphere of healthcare fraud and to continue our mission of bringing those who operate these criminal schemes to justice.”
“Health care professionals who exploit opioid addiction for financial gain do so at the risk of endangering their patients and undermining critical public health efforts to address the opioid epidemic,” said special agent in charge Mario Pinto, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that bad actors are held accountable for such egregious disregard for patient safety and well-being.”
“IRS-CI is committed to working with its law enforcement partners to help fight the opioid crisis and to prevent unscrupulous heath care professionals from using taxpayer funded programs as their own piggybanks,” said special agent in charge Sarah Kull, of the IRS Criminal Investigation, Detroit field office.
