The prescription shelves at a local pharmacy in Washington, D.C., where the U.S. Justice Department announced Monday that a former Michigan pharmacist was sentenced to nearly four years in prison in a fraud scheme that cost Medicare $4 million. File Photo by Billie Jean Shaw/UPI
A former Michigan pharmacist was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for his role in a $4 million healthcare fraud scheme, the U.S. Justice Department announced Monday.
Nabil Fakih, 50, operated a pharmacy in Dearborn Heights, where he billed Medicare for prescription medications that he did not dispense between 2011 and 2017, according to court documents.
Fakih pleaded guilty to one count of healthcare fraud before a federal judge in August 2024.
According to court documents, Fakih submitted fraudulent claims for reimbursement to Medicare for prescription medications, including for blood thinners and lung disease inhalers that were not part of his pharmacy’s inventory.
Fakih admitted to manipulating inventory purchases at the pharmacy, as well as the receipt and transfer of fraudulent proceeds for his own personal use. The loss to Medicare totaled approximately $4 million.
On Monday, Fakih was sentenced to 46 months in prison and was ordered to pay $4 million in restitution. He will forfeit four real estate properties and more than $726,000.
