7 with Michigan ties are among dozens charged in federal health care fraud crackdown

Seven people with ties to Michigan have been charged in a federal crackdown on health care fraud, officials said.

Yvette Hardy, 60, Vijil Rahulan, 52, Bashier Sammour, 28, Ibrahim Sammour, 63, Ruby Scott, 53, and Amro Sharafeldin, 40, are each being charged with crimes in federal court in Detroit, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement.

Hardy and both Sammours are Wayne County residents, while Rahulan is a citizen of India, Scott is an Oakland County resident and Sharafeldin lives in Michigan, authorities reported.

All six were among 193 people charged by prosecutors in various scams that defrauded the federal government of nearly $3 billion through false insurance claims. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the charges Thursday.

Hardy has been charged for her role in an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $3.4 million from Medicare, said Dawn Ison, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. Hardy, who owned and operated Pebble Brook Care Agency LLC, allegedly submitted false and fraudulent Medicare claims for psychotherapy services that were not provided as represented or not rendered at all, according to authorities.

Court records did not list an attorney for Hardy.

Rahulan, a doctor in India, is accused of being part of an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $82 million from Medicare, Ison said. The doctor allegedly submitted false claims for medical equipment and genetic testing that were unnecessary or ineligible for Medicare reimbursement, according to prosecutors. They also allege Rahulan cost the federal government nearly $29 million.

Court records did not list an attorney for Rahulan.

Bashier Sammour and Ibrahim Sammour are charged with submitting more than $2 million in false and fraudulent Medicare claims for home health care services through their company, Individualized Home Health Care P.C., Ison said. The services were either medically unnecessary, not provided as represented, or not rendered.

She said Bashier Sammour was also charged with making false statements relating to health care matters. In addition, Ibrahim Sammour was charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud, she said.

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