Another 13 people have been indicted in a massive health fraud case that the federal government has dubbed one of the biggest prescription drug schemes in the history of Michigan.
The new defendants include: five doctors, including Rajat Daniel, whose Commerce Township medical practice was raided by federal drug agents this morning; four pharmacists; and a home health care agency owner.
“Taxpayers fund Medicare and Medicaid to provide health care for needy citizens,” U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said in a statement. “We hope that doctors and pharmacists will take note that if they exploit these programs for personal profit, they will face serious consequences.”
This brings the total number of defendants charged in case to 39 – all of whom are accused in a scheme that prosecutors say billed insurers for millions of dollars worth of bogus prescriptions, including OxyContin, Vicodin, Xanax and cough syrup with codeine. Doctors got kickbacks for writing the prescriptions, and so did patients, who agreed to let their insurers be billed for the drugs, according to court documents.
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Of the 26 originally charged in the 2011 indictment, six people were convicted at trial last summer, including Canton pharmacist Bububhai (Bob) Patel. Patel was sentenced to 17 years in prison last month after a jury convicted him of charging the government more than $57 million for painkillers that were medically unnecessary or never provided. Fifteen additional defendants, including six pharmacists and two doctors, have pleaded guilty in the case. Five other defendants are set to go on trial in June.
“Today’s indictments, particularly of the medical professionals, are significant,” said Robert L. Corso, head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Detroit office. “ It is alleged that these individuals abused their positions of trust and endangered the lives of countless people by illegally distributing opiate painkillers and depressants throughout southeast Michigan.”
Corso said the medical community should be on notice.
“This investigation makes it clear that the DEA and our partners in law enforcement will continue to investigate and bring to justice those individuals that are responsible for the illegal distribution of prescription medicines,” he said.
According to documents unsealed today, the thirteen new defendants are:
According to documents unsealed today, the 13 new defendants are:
• Pharmacist Mehul Patel, 34 of Canton
• Pharmacist Pradeep Pandya, 49 of Grand Blanc
• Pharmacist Vikas Sharma, 34 of Windsor
• Pharmacist Mukesh Khunt, 33 of Toronto
• Doctor Richard Utarnachitt, 71 of Clinton Township
• Doctor Ruben Benito, 72 of Madison Heights
• Doctor Javaid Bashir, 59 of Jackson
• Doctor Carl Fowler, 60; of West Bloomfield
• Rajat Daniel
• Home health care agency owner Vinod Patel, 40 of Canton
• Business associate Atul Patel, 31 of Canton
• Marketer Anthony Macklin, a.k.a. “Jimbo,” of Detroit
• Marketer Michael Thoran, a.k.a. “Ace,” also of Detroit.
The defendants were targeted in a wide scale investigation that was carried out by the DEA, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.