Abdirashid Ahmed, 38, of Lewiston, Charged with Health Care Fraud
In a stunning display of greed and deception, Abdirashid Ahmed, 38, of Lewiston, Maine, has been charged with health care fraud and soliciting kickbacks from a MaineCare provider. According to the indictment, Ahmed solicited kickbacks from a MaineCare provider in exchange for referring beneficiaries to the provider between May 2015 and December 2017.
The indictment, handed down by a federal grand jury in Portland, Maine, alleges that Ahmed and his co-defendant, Garat Osman, 32, of Auburn, brought beneficiaries to the provider and served as Somali interpreters during the visits. The indictment recites that fraudulent bills were submitted to MaineCare that overstated the health and interpreter service provided, and MaineCare reimbursed the provider based upon the fraudulent billing.
And, according to the charges, the provider then paid Ahmed and Osman the monies that MaineCare paid on the fraudulent interpreter claims. If convicted, each person faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. If convicted, each person may also be ordered to pay restitution to MaineCare.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, and the State of Maine Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Crime Unit. Both defendants were arrested this morning and are expected to make initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Portland later today.
Abdirashid Ahmed, 38, of Lewiston, is charged with health care fraud and soliciting kickbacks from a MaineCare provider. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. The indictment alleges that Ahmed solicited kickbacks from a MaineCare provider in exchange for referring beneficiaries to the provider between May 2015 and December 2017.
According to the indictment, Ahmed and his co-defendant, Garat Osman, 32, of Auburn, brought beneficiaries to the provider and served as Somali interpreters during the visits. The indictment recites that fraudulent bills were submitted to MaineCare that overstated the health and interpreter service provided, and MaineCare reimbursed the provider based upon the fraudulent billing.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Both defendants were arrested this morning and are expected to make initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Portland later today.
Key Facts
- State: Maine
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
