By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS — Pharmacist Mohamad Ali Makki, 46, of Dearborn Heights was sentenced to over six years in prison for his role in a $9.8 million scheme to bill insurance for medications not dispensed.
Makki was a licensed pharmacist at Life Care Pharmacy in Farmington Hills from 2013 to 2019, according to a U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan news release.
He faces 77 months in prison for scheming to defraud health care insurers by submitting claims for pharmaceuticals that were not actually purchased, U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison announced Jan. 20.
U.S. District Judge Linda Parker ordered Makki to pay $9.8 million in restitution. Also, the court ordered the forfeiture of approximately $1.1 million in funds seized from bank accounts controlled by Makki.
Prosecutors alleged Makki and co-conspirators Wansa Makki and Hossam Tanana — husband and wife — participated in a scheme to defraud Medicare, Medicaid and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan by submitting claims for pharmaceuticals which Life Care Pharmacy did not purchase.
Makki and his co-conspirators submitted claims for expensive pharmaceuticals such as Abilify, Seroquel, and Epipen 2-pak Injections, the news release said.
“As part of the scheme and, in an effort to conceal the fraud from auditors, Makki created false invoices so that he could falsely claim to the auditors that LifeCare had, in fact, purchased the pharmaceuticals,” according to the news release. “In doing so, Makki and his co-conspirators caused more than $9.8 million in loss by obtaining reimbursements for the pharmaceuticals they never actually purchased.”
Tanana, 57, pleaded guilty to money laundering proceeds obtained from the scheme in November 2021 and is awaiting sentencing.
Remaining co-defendants, Wansa Makki, and her brother Mahmoud Makki, are awaiting trial.
The case was investigated by Special Agents of the HHS and FBI, with cooperation and assistance from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services — Office of Inspector General.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Ross.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected].)