A Michigan home health care business owner, Muhammad Zafar, was sentenced to three years and five months in prison for his involvement in a health care fraud conspiracy. The scheme resulted in nearly $7.9 million in false claims billed to Medicare Part A.
Court documents reveal that Zafar, 53, from Wayne County, collaborated with three doctors and two other home health care company owners. They offered kickbacks and bribes to beneficiary recruiters for Medicare beneficiary information. This information was used to bill Medicare for unnecessary services that were not provided. Zafar admitted to submitting approximately $393,500 in claims from his company for services that were not eligible for reimbursement.
Zafar fled the country on June 17, 2015, after violating his court-issued bond by crossing into Canada and then flying to Pakistan. He remained an international fugitive for over seven years before returning to the U.S. On May 29, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to health care fraud and wire fraud.
The announcement of the sentencing was made by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI Detroit Field Office.
The investigation was conducted by HHS-OIG and the FBI Detroit Field Office. Trial Attorney Jeffrey A. Crapko prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads efforts against health care fraud through its Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program has charged over 5,400 defendants involved in fraudulent billing exceeding $27 billion across federal health care programs and private insurers.