Muhammad Mirza, a 50-year-old doctor from Cedar Grove, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud Amtrak’s health care plan.
Mirza admitted that he and his conspirators submitted fraudulent claims for services that either were never provided or were medically unnecessary, resulting in losses to Amtrak totaling more than $1.3 million.
According to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, Mirza and his co-conspirators recruited Amtrak employees to participate in the scheme by paying them to allow the conspirators to use their patient and insurance information to submit false and fraudulent claims.
Mirza’s guilty plea carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater. Sentencing is set for Sept. 13, 2023.
Special agents from the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Amtrak Police Department worked together to investigate the scheme. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
The Amtrak Office of Inspector General expressed gratitude to the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation and emphasized its commitment to identifying and prosecuting those who seek to defraud the company and its employees.
Amtrak employees and their dependents rely on the company’s health care plan, and fraudulent claims ultimately harm them and their families.
As the investigation into this scheme continues, Amtrak and its partners in law enforcement remain vigilant in protecting the integrity of the company’s health care plan and holding accountable those who seek to exploit it for personal gain.
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