By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — Zahra Alwajed, 20, will be sentenced to probation on Dec. 11 for her role in over-prescribing opioids to patients at the Dearborn Medical Clinic, 15401 W. Warren Ave with Dr. Mohammad Derani.
Wayne County Circuit Court Judge James Chylinski agreed to the two-year probation which was decided on by State Assistant Attorney General Daniel Magee and Alwajed’s attorney, Samuel Bennett, during the disposition conference Nov. 3.
Alwajed pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting in the delivery of controlled substances; three similar charges were dropped.
Her sentencing will take place at 9 a.m. on Dec. 11 in front of Chylinski.
Michigan State Police conducted the raid the morning of Aug. 17 at Dearborn Medical Clinic, where Derani allegedly over-prescribed opioids to patients including adderall, hydrocodone and oxycodone.
About eight law enforcement vehicles were on the scene just after 9 a.m. to execute a search warrant after a 45-day investigation was completed.
MSP then completed a raid at Derani’s house in West Bloomfield.
MSP Lt. Michael Shaw said people would line up in the middle of the night for the clinic that opened at 7 a.m. causing a disturbance to the neighborhood.
An investigation determined that since January the doctor at the clinic allegedly prescribed 500,000 opioid pills which would end up on the streets.
Information came from neighborhood residents who told Dearborn police several patients would stand in line for hours at the clinic waiting to see the doctor.
Following the raid, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs suspended Derani’s medical license.
Derani, 67, was charged with four counts of delivery of a controlled substance.
Multiple phone calls to Derani’s attorney for an update on his case were not returned by press time.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected].)