DOJ sentences pair in $522M DNA testing fraud scheme after suspect tried to flee US
FIRST ON FOX: Two men were sentenced Monday for charges related to orchestrating a sprawling $522 million fraud scheme that targeted Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers — using kickbacks, fake...
By Fox News · Fox News
FIRST ON FOX: Two men were sentenced Monday for charges related to orchestrating a sprawling $522 million fraud scheme that targeted Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers — using kickbacks, fake medical orders and DNA samples collected from patients across the country. Reyad Salahaldeen, 57, of Buford, Georgia , was sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. Mohamad Mustafa, 28, of Duluth, Georgia, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to paying illegal health care kickbacks, according to the Justice Department. "Under the guise of health care, these two fraudsters attempted to steal more than half a billion dollars from taxpayers," the Justice Department said. Federal prosecutors said the scheme led to roughly $84 million in payouts from Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers, highlighting the scale of fraud authorities say is draining taxpayer-funded health programs and driving a broader federal crackdown. JURY CONVICTS FORMER NFL PLAYER KEITH J GRAY IN $328 MILLION MEDICARE FRAUD SCHEME INVOLVING KICKBACKS The scheme relied on a network of marketers who targeted individuals — many covered by Medicare — and persuaded them to take genetic tests by promoting them as free or medically important screenings, including for cancer risk. Prosecutors said the tests were often not medically necessary and were ordered by medical providers who had not treated the patients and did not use the results in their care. That allowed the laboratories to bill government health programs for costly tests that would not otherwise have been approved, officials said. Both men were also ordered to pay substantial restitution. Salahaldeen was ordered to repay more than $84.5 million, while Mustafa must pay more than $64.3 million. Salahaldeen also was ordered to forfeit more than $3 million from bank accounts, along with a 2019 GMC Yukon and properties in Texas and Georgia. Mustafa w…