Zafar Mehmood of Michigan is awaiting trial.
By The American Bazaar Staff
WASHINGTON, DC: A Pakistani American businessman from the Detroit area has been indicted for obstruction of justice in connection with his alleged attempts to conceal evidence relevant to his upcoming trial for an alleged health care fraud scheme with estimated losses exceeding $30 million.
Zafar Mehmood, 48, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, is currently awaiting trial for his alleged role in a health care fraud scheme involving, among other allegations, the submission of fraudulent claims to Medicare for services that were medically unnecessary or never provided, according to a press release issued by the Justice Department.
Mehmood allegedly used at least four home health agencies in the Detroit area, including Access Care Home Care Inc., Patient Care Home Care Inc., Hands On Healing Home Care Inc. and All State Home Care Inc., to perpetrate his fraud.
According to indictment on Thursday, last month, on July 25, and again on July 28, Mehmood attempted to alter and conceal records and documents, which included several patient files, with the intent to impair their integrity and availability for use in his upcoming trial.
When he was arrested in November, 2011, law enforcement agents executed search warrants at five locations, seizure warrants for 31 bank accounts related to the scheme and suspended Medicare payments to 16 health care companies associated with the scheme.
Mehmood is alleged to have paid kickbacks to patient recruiters and billed Medicare for services that were not medically necessary and/or not performed through Access, Patient Care, Hands On Healing and All State. He is also accused of laundering the proceeds of the scheme through sham companies and intermediaries.