Indian-origin man wanted in US over ‘$93 m Medicare fraud’; cops say he may be in Hyderabad
Authorities in the United States have placed an Indian-origin man on a federal fugitive list after he was accused of defrauding the Medicare programme of $93 million by submitting false claims for genetic tests.
The department said Mohammed's possible whereabouts are believed to be in Hyderabad, India. (oig.hhs.gov)The US department of health and human services said Khadeer Khan Mohammed allegedly submitted, or directed others to submit, claims that were ineligible for reimbursement, were not requested by authorised medical providers, or were not provided as represented.
The department added that the 46-year-old allegedly used physicians’ personal identifying information without their knowledge or consent to submit claims for genetic tests for beneficiaries with whom the doctors had no treatment relationship. The tests were neither ordered by the physicians nor used in the beneficiaries’ care.
Over the course of the conspiracy, Mohammed used American Premier to submit approximately $93 million in alleged fraudulent Medicare claims, resulting in Medicare paying at least $65 million.
In one 10-day period in 2023 alone, Medicare paid approximately $13 million for suspected fraudulent claims.
The department said his possible whereabouts are believed to be in Hyderabad, India.
The FBI’s Dallas Field Office and the HHS OIG investigated the case, and the criminal case is being handled by prosecutors from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Mohammed owned American Premier Labs LLC in Richardson, Texas.
The authorities have also reported seizing nearly $6 million from bank accounts allegedly controlled by Mohammed, according to Wealth of Geeks.
According to his federal fugitive profile, he was born on July 5, 1980, stands around five feet ten inches tall, and weighs roughly 170 pounds.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to contact the agency’s fugitive hotline at 888-476-4453 or file a fugitive sighting report.
Karishma Ayaldasani is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi, where she works with the digital team on fast-moving breaking stories from India and around the world. She enjoys covering national and global news, focusing on delivering updates quickly and clearly so readers can make sense of what’s happening as it unfolds. Comfortable in high-pressure newsroom settings, she regularly contributes to live blogs, explainers and real-time coverage. Before joining Hindustan Times, she was part of the digital team at The Indian Express, worked with the social media team at Firstpost, and spent time as a creative strategist at Clematis Advertising. Outside of work, she likes exploring different art forms and unwinds with music. With over three years of experience in fast-paced newsrooms, she brings curiosity, clarity and consistency to her work.Read More
