U.S. Department Of Justice Indicts Drs. Rizwan Qadir And Laran Lerner
June 18, 2015 – Rizwan Qadir, M.D. and Laran Lerner, M.D. have been federally indicted on multiple counts of health care fraud in what is being coined by the United State Department of Justice (DOJ) as “Part of the Largest National Medicare Fraud Takedown in History.” Drs. Qadir and Lerner are two of sixteen individuals to be federally indicted.
Dr. Qadir is the owner of Rizwan Qadir, M.D., P.C . and Neuroscience, P.C. In addition to treatment records, this physician is regularly noted in medical reports as reviewing electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCS) tests. He is charged with Health Care Fraud, Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud, Conspiracy to Pay and Receive Kickbacks and Offering, Paying, Soliciting and Receiving Health Care Kickbacks. According to the twenty-two page indictment Dr. Qadir employed multiple patient recruiters, including admitted recruiter Johnny Younan, who in turn paid patients to treat with the physician. Johnny Younan of Centerline, Michigan also faces federal charges associated with the fraudulent scheme. Dr. Qadir is also alleged to have performed unnecessary diagnostic testing and authorized unnecessary prescription drugs. He is reported to have paid or received kickbacks in the amount of $19 million in the Medicare fraud scheme.
Dr. Lerner and pharmacist Mohamad Bazzi are charged with Health Care Fraud, Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud, Money Laundering and Structuring. Dr. Lerner is the owner of GDPTR, which has operated under the multiple assumed names including Warren Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, P.C., Oak Park Physical Therapy, Blue Dolphin Physical Therapy, Tri-State Pharmaceuticals, Orthopedic Rehabilitation and Hand Therapy and Merriman Physical Therapy Rehabilitation, Inc. According to the twenty-six page Criminal Complaint Dr. Lerner performed unnecessary medical services, including diagnostic tests, and issued unnecessary prescription drugs to patients. Dr. Lerner is alleged to have advised patients to fill the unnecessary prescriptions at Specialized Pharmacy Solutions, Inc. doing business as Advanced Pharmacy Services and presently known as Pharmacy 1, each of which were/are beneficially owned by Mohamad Bazzi. Dr. Lerner is also alleged to have structured cash deposits to avoid currency transaction reporting by financial institutions. Mohammad Bazzi is also charged with laundering money through a factious non-profit organization.
Should you have any questions and/or concerns regarding the above information and how it may affect the continued handling of a claim(s) concerning one of the above-named providers, please do not hesitate to contact an attorney at Anselmi Mierzejewski Ruth & Sowle P.C. at 248-338-2290..