Kevin M. Dickau, Health Care Fraud, New Jersey 2023
Two California Men Admit Roles in Multi-State Patient Brokering Scheme
TRENTON, N.J. – In a shocking admission, two California men have pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to broker patients as part of a multi-state patient scheme, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Kevin M. Dickau, 32, of Tustin, California, and Dr. Akikur Mohammad, 57, of West Hills, California, each pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan. Dickau pleaded guilty to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Mohammad pleaded guilty to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to violate the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act (EKRA), a new charge enacted by Congress in October 2018 as part of a broader package of legislation aimed at combatting the opioid crisis.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court, Dickau, Welsh, Devlin, and their conspirators owned and operated a marketing company in California. Dickau, Welsh, and Devlin used the marketing company to help orchestrate a scheme in New Jersey, Maryland, California, and other states that involved bribing individuals addicted to heroin and other drugs to enter into drug rehabilitation centers so Welsh, Devlin, and their conspirators could generate referral fees from those facilities.
One facility in California that paid such referral fees was owned and operated by Mohammad. The marketing company run by Dickau, Welsh, and Devlin maintained contractual relationships with drug treatment facilities around the country, including the one run by Mohammad. The marketing company also engaged a nationwide network of recruiters – including Costas in New Jersey – to identify and recruit potential patients, from New Jersey and other states, who were addicted to heroin or other drugs and who had robust private health insurance.
Dickau and Mohammad are set to be sentenced at a later date. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment on the exact sentencing date. The case is part of a broader effort to combat the opioid crisis and hold accountable those who profit from it.
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Healthcare Fraud
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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