A former metro Detroit pharmacy worker is at the center of a multimillion-dollar fraud and pill diversion case, after federal prosecutors say he helped turn local drugstores into a cash machine and a pipeline for oxycodone.
Ali Naserdean, a 32-year-old former pharmacy technician from Dearborn Heights, pleaded guilty this week to federal charges in a scheme that prosecutors say billed insurers more than $5.6 million for medications that were never prescribed or dispensed. Authorities say the operation also involved unlawful oxycodone prescriptions traded for cash. His plea marks a local chapter in a broader federal push against pharmacy billing fraud and opioid diversion.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, Naserdean pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of possession with intent to illegally distribute oxycodone. Court filings state that he and a co-conspirator submitted false claims and used forged prescriptions to disguise the activity, causing more than $5.6 million in losses to Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. The case was investigated by the FBI Detroit Field Office, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the City of Dearborn Police Department.
As reported by CBS Detroit, Naserdean worked as a pharmacy technician at three metro Detroit pharmacies and entered his plea on Thursday. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 1 and faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. A federal judge will ultimately decide his sentence after weighing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
How prosecutors say the scheme worked
Prosecutors allege Naserdean and a co-conspirator turned routine prescription processing into a long-running fraud operation. According to court documents, they submitted claims for prescription drugs that were never ordered by physicians and never dispensed to patients, using forged prescriptions to cover their tracks.
From roughly 2019 through 2022, authorities say Naserdean also wrote or facilitated unlawful oxycodone prescriptions for drug traffickers in exchange for cash, without regard for whether there was any medical need. Those allegations are laid out in court filings and summarized by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Why this matters
Federal officials say schemes like this hit on two fronts: they drain public and private health care dollars, and they can funnel powerful painkillers into illegal markets. The HHS Office of Inspector General has emphasized its work with law enforcement strike forces that zero in on provider and pharmacy fraud as part of a broader national crackdown.
When Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers are billed for drugs and services that never reach patients, the bill does not disappear. Insurers and, ultimately, taxpayers absorb the cost, while diverted opioids contribute to an already strained public health landscape.
What happens next
Naserdean is set to learn his fate on September 1. The offenses carry a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, and the case could also involve significant restitution. The prosecution is being handled by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, and investigators include the FBI Detroit Field Office, HHS-OIG, and the City of Dearborn Police Department, according to CBS Detroit.
Court filings refer to an unnamed co-conspirator, and judges typically sort out restitution and other financial penalties at sentencing, along with any additional conditions required under federal law.
