Wayne Cardiologist, Wife Plead Guilty For Roles In Bribery Scheme

WAYNE, NJ — A township doctor and his wife plead guilty to bribery and conspiracy to commit money laundering for accepting bribes for blood test referrals as part of a $100 million scheme involving a North Jersey testing facility.

Aiman Hamdan, 50, pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in violation of the Federal Travel Act. His wife, Kristina Hamdan, 39, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy that are a part of the 16-count indictment brought against her.

Aiman Hamdan is a cardiologist with a practice in Paterson. According to the indictment, from September 2008 to April 2013, he received from Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services LLC (BLS) a $500,000 loan, a trip to Florida on a private jet to visit strip clubs and go fishing and other "items of value," acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick previously said.

Before March 2006 and through April 2013, BLS routinely paid doctors in New Jersey and New York bribes as incentive to refer their patients to BLS for testing of blood samples, according to the indictment.

The federal investigation has resulted in 45 guilty pleads, including 31 from doctors. The organizers have admitted that it involved millions of dollars in bribes and resulted in more than $100 million in Medicare and private insurance payments to BLS. It is believed to be the largest number of medical professionals ever prosecuted in a bribery case, Fitzpatrick said.

RELATED: Wayne Doc Got Kickbacks, Trips To Strip Clubs As Part Of Bribery Scheme: Authorities

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