Two Pakistani nationals have been indicted in the United States of America on charges of being involved in a health care fraud scheme that prosecutors say caused losses of about $10 million to Medicare and private insurance programmes.
The indictment was announced by the US Department of Justice on Thursday and was returned by a federal grand jury in Chicago. The accused were identified as Burhan Mirza, 31, and Kashif Iqbal, 48.
According to the indictment, the case relates to fraudulent billing for medical services and equipment that were never provided. Prosecutors said the alleged scheme was operated during 2023 and 2024 and relied on nominee-owned laboratories and durable medical equipment providers to submit claims to insurers.
Court documents state that Mirza, who is a resident of Pakistan, obtained identifying information of individuals and health care providers without their knowledge. This information was then used to support false insurance claims submitted to Medicare and private insurance programmes.
Iqbal, who lived in Lavon, is accused of laundering proceeds generated through the scheme and coordinating the transfer of funds from the United States to Pakistan. The indictment further alleges that he was linked to several durable medical equipment companies that submitted fraudulent claims to insurance providers.
Prosecutors said the individuals affected by the scheme were often US citizens of Pakistani origin. The indictment describes these victims as people whose identities were used without consent to facilitate the submission of false claims.
The case also names three other individuals who have already pleaded guilty in connection with the same scheme. They were identified as Mir Akbar Khan, 57, of West Chicago; Fasiur Rahman Syed, 47, of Chicago; and Navaid Rasheed, 43, of Plano, Texas. All three are currently awaiting sentencing in federal court.
Commenting on the case, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement: “Rooting out fraud is a priority for this Justice Department.”
US Attorney Andrew S. Boutros, whose office is handling the prosecution in the Northern District of Illinois, said: “The defendants didn’t just steal from a government programme; they stole from taxpayers who fund the promise of healthcare in this country.”
According to the charges outlined in the indictment, Mirza faces 12 counts of health care fraud and five counts of money laundering. Iqbal has been charged with 12 counts of health care fraud, six counts of money laundering and one count of making a false statement to law enforcement.
