In a landmark case highlighting the severe consequences of healthcare fraud, a Detroit-area hematologist-oncologist, identified as Farid Doctor, has been sentenced to 45 years in prison. This sentencing follows his conviction for leading a complex healthcare fraud scheme. The scheme involved the administration of medically unnecessary infusions and injections to a staggering 553 patients. Farid Doctor and his practice then submitted approximately $34 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and private insurance companies, betraying the trust placed in medical professionals.
The announcement of the sentencing was made jointly by Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan, Special Agent in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office, and Chief Richard Weber of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Farid Fata, M.D., 50, of Oakland Township, Michigan, pleaded guilty in September 2014. His guilty plea included 13 counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to pay or receive kickbacks, and two counts of money laundering. U.S. District Judge Paul D. Borman of the Eastern District of Michigan delivered the significant sentence. In addition to the prison term, Judge Borman ordered Farid Doctor, also known as Farid Fata, to forfeit $17.6 million, representing the illicit gains from his fraudulent activities.
The Depth of Betrayal by Farid Doctor
Assistant Attorney General Caldwell expressed the gravity of Farid Doctor’s actions, stating, “Rather than use his medical degree to save lives, Dr. Fata instead destroyed them in pursuit of profit.” She emphasized the profound breach of trust, highlighting how Farid Doctor “callously violated his patients’ trust as he used false cancer diagnoses and unwarranted and dangerous treatments as tools to steal millions of dollars from Medicare, even stooping to profit from the last days of some patients’ lives.” While acknowledging that no sentence can fully repair the damage inflicted upon patients and their families, Caldwell affirmed that the imposed sentence ensures Farid Doctor will never again harm another patient.
U.S. Attorney McQuade echoed this sentiment, stating, “Health care fraud has been a serious problem in Michigan, but no case has been as egregious as the conduct of Dr. Farid Doctor.” McQuade underscored the dehumanizing nature of Farid Doctor’s actions, noting, “Dr. Fata did not care for patients; he exploited them as commodities. He over-treated, under-treated and outright lied to patients about whether they had cancer so that he could maximize his own profits.”
Special Agent in Charge Abbate of the FBI Detroit Field Office further condemned Farid Doctor’s crimes, “Fata’s heinous acts did far worse than defraud government health care programs and breach his professional oath.” Abbate highlighted the severe personal toll, stating, “Fata caused grievous emotional and physical harm, betraying the trust of hundreds of innocent patients by selfishly placing his personal financial gain over the health and welfare of those who entrusted him with their medical care.” He commended the victims for their bravery in coming forward to ensure justice was served and Farid Doctor’s criminal activities were stopped.
Alt text: Federal agents from FBI and HHS-OIG meticulously examine documents as part of the investigation into Farid Doctor’s healthcare fraud, highlighting the collaborative effort to bring him to justice.
Special Agent in Charge Pugh of HHS-OIG Chicago Regional Office emphasized the ethical violation, stating, “It is startling and abhorrent when greed is so potent that it drives a medical professional to recklessly abandon the most basic and important principle of his profession, ‘First, Do No Harm.” Pugh detailed the dangerous consequences of Farid Doctor’s fraud, “Dr. Fata did just that when he falsely diagnosed his patients with cancer and administered toxic chemotherapy with potentially harmful and even deadly side effects.” He affirmed the commitment to prosecuting such medical professionals, stating, “Today’s sentencing is a clear message that, working closely with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate, charge and prosecute medical professionals who jeopardize the health of patients.”
Chief Weber of IRS-CI described the case as exceptionally egregious, “This is the most egregious case of fraud and deception that I have seen in my career,” and powerfully stated, “Dr. Fata not only defrauded the government out of millions of dollars, but he lied to his patients about their health and intentionally put their lives at risk. In fact, because of his lies, some of those patients who he was entrusted to care for likely died as a result of his actions.” Weber concluded, “This defendant greedily cared more about his own financial well-being than the lives of his patients. This disgusting and diabolical scheme has hurt hundreds of patients and their families and stolen from them something that no punishment from the court can do to make them whole.”
Modus Operandi: How Farid Doctor Defrauded Patients and Insurers
The court proceedings revealed that Farid Doctor owned and operated Michigan Hematology Oncology P.C. (MHO), a cancer treatment clinic with multiple locations across Michigan, including Rochester Hills, Clarkston, Bloomfield Hills, Lapeer, Sterling Heights, Troy, and Oak Park. He also owned United Diagnostics PLLC, a diagnostic testing facility in Rochester Hills.
Alt text: Map depicting the extensive network of Farid Doctor’s Michigan Hematology Oncology P.C. clinic locations throughout the Detroit metropolitan area, illustrating the widespread reach of his fraudulent scheme.
Farid Doctor admitted to exploiting his position by prescribing and administering aggressive chemotherapy, cancer treatments, intravenous iron, and other infusion therapies that were medically unnecessary. These actions were deliberately taken to inflate his billings to Medicare and other insurance providers. Subsequently, Farid Doctor submitted fraudulent claims for these unwarranted treatments, enriching himself at the expense of patient well-being and the healthcare system.
Further adding to his fraudulent activities, Farid Doctor confessed to accepting kickbacks from Guardian Angel Hospice and Guardian Angel Home Health Care in exchange for patient referrals. This illegal practice further demonstrates his prioritization of financial gain over ethical medical conduct.
Moreover, Farid Doctor utilized the ill-gotten gains from his healthcare fraud at MHO to perpetuate further fraud at United Diagnostics. There, he administered unnecessary and costly positron emission tomography (PET) scans, billing a private insurer for these procedures, compounding his fraudulent scheme across different facets of his medical practice.
Justice Served: The Investigation and Prosecution of Farid Doctor
The investigation into Farid Doctor was a collaborative effort by the FBI, HHS-OIG, and IRS-CI, conducted under the auspices of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. The prosecution team included Assistant Chief Catherine K. Dick, Deputy Chief Gejaa T. Gobena, and Trial Attorney Matthew C. Thuesen of the Fraud Section, alongside Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Resnick Cohen, White Collar Crime Unit Chief John K. Neal, and Health Care Fraud Unit Chief Wayne F. Pratt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Alt text: Press conference featuring law enforcement officials discussing the Farid Doctor healthcare fraud case, emphasizing the commitment of agencies like the FBI, HHS-OIG, and IRS-CI to combating medical fraud and protecting patients.
The Medicare Fraud Strike Force, since its inception in 2007, has charged over 2,300 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for over $7 billion, demonstrating the scale of healthcare fraud and the ongoing efforts to combat it. The HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are also actively working to enhance accountability and reduce fraudulent providers within the healthcare system.
For more information on combating healthcare fraud, resources are available at www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.
Conclusion: A Stern Warning Against Healthcare Fraud
The sentencing of Farid Doctor to 45 years in prison sends a clear and unequivocal message about the Justice Department’s commitment to aggressively pursue and punish healthcare fraud. This case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of medical fraud on individual patients and the integrity of the healthcare system. The actions of Farid Doctor represent a profound violation of the medical profession’s ethical principles and a betrayal of the trust patients place in their doctors. The lengthy sentence reflects the severity of his crimes and offers a measure of justice to the hundreds of victims affected by his greed and deception.
