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PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Detroit-area residents Faisal Chaudry and Guy Ross pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Detroit for their participation in a fraudulent Medicare home health scheme, the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS) announced.
Chaudry, 32, pleaded guilty on July 13 before U.S. District Court Judge Denise Page Hood in the Eastern District of Michigan to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Ross, 49, pleaded guilty before Judge Hood to one count of conspiracy to receive health care kickbacks. At sentencing, scheduled for Oct. 21, 2010, Chaudry faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; Ross faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to the plea documents, Chaudry was a physical therapist assistant who worked for All American Home Care Inc., and other affiliated entities. All American purported to provide home health services, including physical therapy services, to Medicare beneficiaries. Chaudry admitted that he signed documents, including therapy visit and revisit notes, that purported to document home health visits to Medicare beneficiaries. The documents were then used by All American to bill Medicare. Chaudry admitted in court documents that a large majority of these home health visits never occurred. Chaudry also admitted that he was paid approximately $45 by the owners of All American for each document he signed. According to court documents, Chaudry signed documents used to justify approximately $917,394 in home health claims by All American for patients he either never saw or for whom home health services were medically unnecessary. Chaudry admitted that he knew the files he helped falsify were used to justify fraudulent billings to Medicare.
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