An Illinois business owner is charged with defrauding Medicare out of $31 million.
The 11 News Investigates team has reported since May about the 280 Maryland residents who said their Medicare accounts were charged for COVID-19 test kits they never ordered, and in some cases, never even received.
Now, federal officials said they have charged one of the people responsible for nationwide health care fraud.
Federal prosecutors said Baqar Hussain Razv Syed, the owner of Luna Labs, billed Medicare for 2.8 million COVID-19 test kits that people on Medicare said they never requested and, in some cases, never received. Syed pleaded not guilty to health care fraud on Dec. 15.
In Maryland, 280 residents have told 11 News Investigates that they’ve fallen victim to this alleged scheme, with Medicare paying the bill for unwanted COVID-19 tests on taxpayer money.
Source: Illinois business owner charged in alleged health care fraud of Medicare / WBALTV