Crime & Law
Former Loretto Hospital Exec Facing New Charges in Alleged $300M Fraud Scheme
Loretto Hospital in Austin. (WTTW News)
Anosh Ahmed, the former Loretto Hospital exec who reportedly fled to Dubai after he was charged last year in a $15 million embezzlement scheme, now faces additional charges after he and others allegedly stole nearly $300 million through a fraudulent COVID-19 testing scam.
Ahmed, 41, was among four people charged after they allegedly submitted fraudulent reimbursement claims to the federal government for COVID testing materials totaling nearly $900 million, of which approximately $293 million was paid.
He now faces several new charges including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks, obtaining individually identifiable health information without authorization and for commercial advantage, and money laundering.
Ahmed exited Loretto in March 2021 amid multiple controversies during the pandemic involving improper vaccination events, as detailed in reporting at the time by Block Club Chicago. But according to the latest indictment, he obtained a spreadsheet the following month which contained personal information — including names, dates of birth, gender and addresses — of some 150,000 Loretto patients who’d visited the hospital between July 2014 and June 2020.
Ahmed and his codefendants then allegedly used that info to submit the fraudulent claims, according to the indictment.
Ahmed is not in federal custody after he reportedly fled the country following the first round of fraud charges filed against him. He was charged in that case last year with defrauding Loretto out of $15 million.
Along with Ahmed, the government announced charges against Mohamed Sirajudeen, 53, Mahmood Sami Khan, 36, and 34-year-old Suhaib Ahmad Chaudhry in connection with the latest alleged scheme.
Those came as part of what the feds called an “unprecedented” fraud takedown that resulted in charges filed against 320 people nationwide for allegedly participating in various health care fraud schemes that totaled more than $14.6 billion in intended losses.
As a result of those investigations, the federal government has seized more than $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency and other assets.
Thirteen people have been charged in Illinois alone, with some allegedly participating in fraud schemes involving more than $1.83 billion billed to government programs and private health insurers.
According to the indictment, if they’re convicted, Ahmed and his codefendants would be required to forfeit more than $50 million from a bank account listed in Ahmed’s name, as well as various properties, luxury vehicles and several million dollars of securities.
