Authorities in the United States have placed an Indian-origin man on a federal fugitive list after he was accused of defrauding the Medicare programme of $93 million by submitting false claims for genetic tests.
The US department of health and human services said Khadeer Khan Mohammed allegedly submitted, or directed others to submit, claims that were ineligible for reimbursement, were not requested by authorised medical providers, or were not provided as represented.
‘Used physicians information’
The department added that the 46-year-old allegedly used physicians’ personal identifying information without their knowledge or consent to submit claims for genetic tests for beneficiaries with whom the doctors had no treatment relationship. The tests were neither ordered by the physicians nor used in the beneficiaries’ care.
Over the course of the conspiracy, Mohammed used American Premier to submit approximately $93 million in alleged fraudulent Medicare claims, resulting in Medicare paying at least $65 million.
In one 10-day period in 2023 alone, Medicare paid approximately $13 million for suspected fraudulent claims.
The department said his possible whereabouts are believed to be in Hyderabad, India.
Investigation underway
{{/usCountry}}The department said his possible whereabouts are believed to be in Hyderabad, India.
Investigation underway
{{/usCountry}}The FBI’s Dallas Field Office and the HHS OIG investigated the case, and the criminal case is being handled by prosecutors from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Mohammed owned American Premier Labs LLC in Richardson, Texas.
The authorities have also reported seizing nearly $6 million from bank accounts allegedly controlled by Mohammed, according to Wealth of Geeks.
According to his federal fugitive profile, he was born on July 5, 1980, stands around five feet ten inches tall, and weighs roughly 170 pounds.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to contact the agency’s fugitive hotline at 888-476-4453 or file a fugitive sighting report.