Farmington Hills Pharmacist Convicted Of $9.8M Scheme: Feds

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI — A Farmington Hills pharmacist from Dearborn Heights was sentenced for his role in a $9.8 million scheme to defraud health care insurers , United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison Announced Thursday.

Mohamad Ali Makki, 46, was sentenced to 77 months for submitting pharmaceutical claims that were never actually purchased to Medicare, Medicaid and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, officials said.

Makki is also ordered to pay $9.8 million in restitution and forfeit $1.1 million in funds officials seized from bank accounts under his control, officials said.

As a licensed pharmacist at Life Care Pharmacy in Farmington Hills, Makki along with Hossam Tanana and Wansa Makki submitted the claims for expensive pharmaceuticals, which included Abilify, Seroquel, and Epipen 2-pak injections, officials said.

To conceal the fact the pharmacy never actually bought the pharmaceuticals, Makki created fake invoices in an effort to say the pharmacy had actually purchased the pharmaceuticals, officials said.

In doing so, the trio caused more than $9.8 million in loss by obtaining reimbursements for the pharmaceuticals they never actually purchased, officials said.

"Fraud by health care professionals will be aggressively pursued by our office," US Attorney Ison said. "We hope that prosecutions like this one will deter health care professionals from stealing money from those who genuinely need it to order to line their own pockets."

Tanana, 57, pleaded guilty in November to money laundering proceeds obtained in this scheme. He is awaiting his sentence.

Wansa Makki is awaiting trial, officials said.