A Michigan pharmacist and business owner who engaged in a five-year pharmacy shortage fraud scheme at two separate pharmacies pleaded guilty on February 24, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr..
Mohammad Hamdan, age 44, from Dearborn Heights pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud for a scheme that caused over $3 million in loss to Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
At the hearing, Hamdan admitted to utilizing his two pharmacies to submit false and fraudulent claims for prescriptions even though the prescribed drugs were medically unnecessary or not actually dispensed. In many instances, the pharmacies lacked the inventory to dispense these drugs but billed the health care insurers as thought they had been dispensed.
Over the five-year scheme, Hamdan submitted or directed the submission of false and fraudulent claims totaling over $3.2 million.
Hamdan faces a possible maximum sentence of not more than 10 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a fine of not more than $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Dorval Norwood.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan
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