An Arizona doctor who was convicted of masterminding a massive, multi-million dollar fraud scheme against Arizona's Medicaid program will go to prison and forfeit all of his assets, including multiple aircraft, jewelry, luxury handbags, crypto currency and gold bars.
Yuma doctor Irfan Fazil was sentenced Oct. 2 to more than seven years in prison and seven years of probation in Yuma County Superior Court for orchestrating a scheme against the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Attorney General Kris Mayes announced in a news release.
"Dr. Fazil abused his position as a physician to steal more than $36 million from a taxpayer funded program that exists to provide health care to Arizona's most vulnerable residents," Mayes said.
Between July 1 through Dec. 31, Fazil used three businesses — Bio Family Clinic, Inc., Yuma Mobile X-Ray and Yuma Kidney & Dialysis — to bill AHCCCS for tens of thousands of radiology services. This included X-rays, ECGs, CT scans, ultrasounds and medical treatments, according to the Attorney General's website.
His businesses collected $36.5 million in AHCCCS payments during that six-month period. Two and a half years prior, his businesses collected $4.7 million, a nearly 671% increase in paid claims, according to the attorney general's website.
Investigators focused their attention on the 27 patients with the highest billing volumes. In one case, a single patient's account was billed for more than 1,700 X-rays in six months, according to the website.
"He billed for thousands of X-rays and other medical treatments that could not possibly have been performed and treated AHCCCS as his personal bank account," Mayes said in the news release.
On Sept. 4, Fazil was convicted of felony charges of fraudulent schemes and artifices, illegal control of an enterprise, theft and illegal procurement of a dangerous drug after entering a guilty plea, the release stated. He had been indicted on six felony counts by a grand jury June 8.
As Fazil accepted a plea deal, he is forced to forfeit all of his assets, which included real estate, medical facilities, vehicles, multiple aircrafts, jewelry, handbags, vehicles, real estate, U.S. currency, cryptocurrency and gold bars, the website stated.
In addition, Fazil will serve 7.5 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections as well as 7 years of probation. He will, surrender his medical license and DEA registration, and pay $36.5 million in restitution to AHCCCS, according to the website.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona doctor to pay $36M in restitution for AHCCCS fraud scheme
