Mohammed Kazim Ali, a Greenfield resident, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for fraudulent healthcare practices. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office release, on Monday, Ali was sentenced for his involvement in a kickback scheme that resulted in over $2.2 million in losses to Medicaid and Medicare programs.
The U.S. Attorney's Office explained that Ali and his partner, Justin Hanson, owned Noah Associates, a Milwaukee-area clinical laboratory. From 2017, they paid over $400,000 to a local treatment clinic owner for patient referrals, which led to unnecessary urine drug tests not ordered by a physician or needed for treatment.
When a physician discovered unauthorized tests were being billed under their name, Ali was instructed to stop. However, he continued to submit fraudulent bills to the government for these tests. United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller underscored the seriousness of Ali’s actions, pointing out his manipulation and violation of trust in the Medicaid and Medicare programs to unlawfully obtain millions of dollars.
Ali has been ordered to pay $2.2 million in restitution, along with a $75,000 fine. He will also be excluded from participating in Medicaid and Medicare programs in the future. Noah Associates has been shut down. Hanson is awaiting sentencing on March 21. The investigation was led by the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
"Rather than bill the government for tests that patients actually needed, Ali abused the Medicaid and Medicare programs for ill-gotten gains," stated U.S. Attorney Haanstad in the same release. Michael Hensle, FBI Special Agent in Charge, added, "This sentence demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to investigating individuals like Mr. Ali who erode the public’s trust in our healthcare systems."
