FORT WORTH, Texas — Reginald Guy, 44, of Arlington, Texas, was sentenced to 156 months in federal prison and ordered to pay approximately $2.4 million in restitution for his role in a health care fraud scheme involving a chiropractor and a former union representative from the Dallas – Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex.
Reginald Guy, a factory worker in Arlington, used his position as a union representative to recruit and refer his co-workers to DFW Rehab & Diagnostics, which was operated from the office of Metroplex DFW Sports Rehab Center in Arlington, and then later from a stand-alone location in Grand Prairie, Texas. In exchange for monthly kickbacks, work excuse notes, and a variety of prizes, the workers agreed to allow their insurance companies to be billed for services they did not receive.
From 2009 to 2012, Reginald Guy, Dr. Abbas Zahedi, and four convicted codefendants conspired to submit health insurance claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBS) and other insurers for services not rendered.
Reginald Guy was convicted at trial in June 2014 on all counts of a superseding indictment charging one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, five counts of health care fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft.
Dr. Abbas Zahedi, 49, of Carrolton, Texas, was convicted on the same offenses at that trial. A chiropractor, Dr. Zahedi owned and operated DFW Rehab & Diagnostics.
Sterns, 50, of DeSoto, Texas, was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison and ordered to pay approximately $2.2 million in restitution. Sterns owned and operated Metroplex.
Perkins, 43, of Dallas, was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay approximately $2.4 million in restitution. Perkins worked as the biller and office consultant for Dr. Zahedi and was responsible for submitting claims to insurance companies.
Donna Harris, 43 of Haltom City, Texas, was sentenced to eight months in federal prison and was ordered to pay approximately $2 million in restitution. Harris permitted the clinic, in exchange for cash payments, to submit claims to BCBS for services purportedly performed by Dr. Zahedi and Wattron, when in fact she received no treatment.
Wattron, 56, of Grapevine, Texas, was sentenced to six months in federal prison and was ordered to pay approximately $1.3 million in restitution. He worked as an occupational therapist at the clinic from approximately 2008 until August 2011.
Related Federal Cases
- Cathy Harvill and William Harvill, Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud, Texas 2014 · Kansas
- Jason Jarin, Medicaid Fraud and Illicit Transition Procedures, Texas 2023 · Texas
- Joshua Hippler, Wrongful Disclosure of Individually Identifiable Health Information, Texas 2014 · Texas
- Jose Antonio Caballero, Mortgage Fraud Scheme, Texas 2011 · Texas
- Shannon Tecoko Mays, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Texas 2012 · Kansas
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
