New Jersey Doc Sentenced 26 Months for Amtrak Health Care Scam

A New Jersey doctor has been nailed for his role in a massive health care scam targeting Amtrak, raking in over $1.3 million in false claims.

Muhammad Mirza, 51, of Cedar Grove, New Jersey, was sentenced to 26 months in prison for participating in the scheme, which saw him and his conspirators bill the Amtrak health care plan for services never provided or medically unnecessary.

According to court documents, Mirza and his cohorts recruited Amtrak employees to participate in the scam by paying them to allow the use of their patient and insurance information to submit false and fraudulent claims.

Mirza and his conspirators submitted over $1.3 million in false claims, causing significant losses for the railroad.

U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced the sentencing, crediting the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Amtrak Police Department for their investigation.

Mirza was also ordered to pay restitution of $1.37 million and serve two years of supervised release.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano represented the government in the case, which highlights the brazen nature of health care fraud schemes.

The Amtrak health care plan was targeted by Mirza and his conspirators from April 2017 through June 2022, a period during which they submitted false and fraudulent claims on a massive scale.

The sentencing serves as a warning to those involved in similar schemes, which can have devastating consequences for innocent victims and taxpayers.

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