Pakistani national sentenced for health care fraud, money laundering conspiracy in US
Feb 20, 2022
Rawalpindi [Pakistan], February 21 : A Pakistani man was sentenced in the Northern District of Illinois for a health care fraud scheme and money laundering conspiracy, said the US Department of Justice (DOJ).
Muhammad Ateeq, 33, of Rawalpindi, Pakistan, was sentenced to 12 years in prison and ordered to pay approximately USD 48 million in restitution. In addition, Judge Manish Shah ordered the forfeiture of a USD 2.4 million cashier's check and over USD 1 million in cash.
The sentencing was done on February 18. According to court documents, Ateeq worked in the Islamabad office of Home Health Care Consulting, an entity that controlled Medicare billing and maintenance of electronic medical records for over 20 home health agencies located in Illinois, Indiana, Nevada and Texas.
While working at Home Health Care Consulting, Ateeq used a variety of fake identities, including "Nilesh Patel," "Sanjay Kapoor" and "Rajesh Desai," to acquire and manage home health agencies in the United States.
Once the agencies were under Ateeq's control, Ateeq caused the agencies to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare for home health services, resulting in over USD 40 million in payments for services that were never rendered, said the DOJ statement.
As part of the money laundering conspiracy, Ateeq directed his U.S. employees to deposit checks of fraud proceeds into U.S. bank accounts designated by overseas customers of overseas money transmitting businesses. The money transmitting businesses then issued cash payments to Ateeq in Pakistan, as well as deposits into bank accounts in Pakistan under Ateeq's control.
Ateeq also directed U.S. employees to use fraud proceeds to purchase expensive watches and other luxury items in the United States and then deliver the items to Ateeq's associates in Dubai.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department's Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch, Jr. for the Northern District of Illinois; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent-in-Charge Emmerson Buie Jr. of the FBI Chicago Field Office; and Principal Deputy Inspector General Christi A. Grimm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
As per the DOJ statement, the FBI Chicago Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Sarah Wilson Rocha of the Criminal Division's Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Daniel and Patrick Mott of the Northern District of Illinois prosecuted the case.
