Two men from Georgia were sentenced Monday for orchestrating a massive health care fraud scheme that submitted over $522 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid. Reyad Salahaldeen and Mohamad Mustafa used illegal kickbacks and bribes to obtain genetic tests that were not medically necessary, according to the Department of Justice.
Reyad Salahaldeen, 57, of Buford, was sentenced to 151 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. Mohamad Mustafa, 28, of Duluth, was sentenced to three years in prison for paying health care kickbacks.
Between 2018 and August 2020, the men controlled labs in Georgia, New Jersey, and Texas to bill for tests designed to predict cancer risks and drug reactions. According to court records, the group targeted patients through telemarketing and…
PROCUREMENT & EXPENDITURE (STOPPING KICKBACKS)
Procurement fraud usually involves inflated invoices or “fictitious” vendors.
- The Three-Way Match: Never pay an invoice unless you have matched the Purchase Order (PO), the Delivery Note (signed), and the Supplier Invoice.
- Vendor Master File Review: Review your vendor list annually. Look for suppliers with the same bank details or physical addresses as your employees.
- Dual Authorization: Implement a “Two-to-Sign” rule for all EFT payments above a certain threshold (e.g., R5,000).
- No “Cashing” of Checks: If you still use physical checks, strictly prohibit “Cash” as a payee and store blank checks in a dual-lock safe.