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In a tragic discovery, a Michigan oncologist has been convicted of fraud after taking advantage of hundreds of his patients in the suburbs of Detroit. The scam, which involved both cancer patients, as well as those who were allegedly misled into believing they had cancer, led to Farid Fata being sentenced to 45 years in prison, according to a July 2015 report from NBC News. Of course, this sentence is a result of only the criminal proceedings, as the patients who suffered harm at the hands of this doctor will likely file civil complaints to recover compensation for their damages.
Specifics of the Case
Fata, who "blamed greed and a 'self-destructive' thirst for power" as the driving forces behind these egregious acts, used his upscale clinics outside of Detroit to scam hundreds of patients since 2005 before being arrested in August of 2013. Specifically, in an attempt to defraud the federal Medicare system, Fata often falsified information about patients' cancer diagnoses, claiming they needed chemotherapy when, in fact, such treatment was unnecessary. In other circumstances, patients who were already in remission were tricked into receiving "maintenance" chemotherapy as a precautionary measure; and, tragically, he gained the trust of patients he knew to be terminally ill, only to poison their bodies with further chemotherapy in order to receive compensation for the treatment.
All of his destructive actions led to his arrest, and his eventual guilty plea to 23 counts of health care fraud, two counts of money laundering, and one count of conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks. The 45 years he will spend behind bars are greater than the 25 requested by his attorneys, yet represent a much shorter sentence than the 175 years demanded by many of the victims and their survivors.
The End of His Scheme
How, after years of defrauding patients at their most vulnerable periods in life, did the authorities eventually catch on to Fata's illegal activity? Ultimately, the federal government was notified of Fata's illegal acts by George Karadsheh, the practice manager of Michigan Hematology Oncology (MHO), Fata's practice. And Karadsheh himself was notified by an employee of MHO who witnessed Fata assert false statements about the practice, as well as a host of improper medical procedures. To be sure, the aforementioned employee reached the proverbial breaking point when Fata lied about his practice's certifications, leading to the employee's resignation. And later on, the former employee of MHO happened to encounter a patient of Fata's, who had recently undergone chemotherapy and had more sessions planned for the future; the former employee examined the patient's charts, leading him to believe that the cancer was, in reality, non-existent, at which point he urged the patient to solicit a second opinion. It was at this point the former employee alerted Karadsheh, which helped initiate the investigation of Fata and his eventual downfall.
This is a prime example of the power of whistleblowers in putting an end to fraud that is pervasive within society, and which can cause harm to significant groups of people. To be sure, even before the aforementioned whistleblower made mention of Fata's illegal actions, another disgruntled employee reported Fata to the Bureau of Health Professions, asking for an investigation to be performed; in this case, Fata was cleared of any legal violations. Thankfully, however, another whistleblower stepped forward to speak to Karadsheh, an act that helped facilitate the legal proceedings.
Looking to the Future
While a lengthy prison sentence may prove to be a small win for those victimized by Fata, it cannot ever compensate them for the true extent of the damages he caused. Perhaps through a civil suit, however, these individuals and families will be able to recover monetary compensation to help them carry on with their lives.
Sources
Farid Fata Gets 45 Years in Prison for Scamming Hundreds of Cancer Patients, by Kathryn Nathanson, Anna R. Schecter and Jon Schuppe, published by NBC News on July 10, 2015.
How Did Dr. Farid Fata, America's Greatest Cancer Fraudster, Get Away With It For So Long? by Ed Cara, published by Medical Daily, The Grapevine on July 7, 2015.
