Diversity is our strength
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Immigrants have always been a vital source of American strength. They grow our economy and make our communities richer and more diverse. They are our neighbors, our colleagues, and our friends — and every bit as much a part of America as those who were born in the United States.
President Trump sees things differently.
May 3, 2026:
Michigan Pharmacy Tech Pleads Guilty to $5.6M Medicare Fraud and Selling Oxycodone to Drug Traffickers
A Michigan man pleaded guilty earlier this week to defrauding health care benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, by billing for prescription medications that he never dispensed and providing unlawful prescriptions of oxycodone to drug traffickers in exchange for cash.
According to court documents, Ali Naserdean, 32, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, was a pharmacy technician at three metro-Detroit pharmacies.
From 2019 through 2022, Naserdean and his co-conspirator submitted false and fraudulent claims to health care benefit programs for prescription drugs that were not ordered by a doctor and never dispensed to the patient.
Naserdean and his co-conspirator used forged prescriptions from doctors to hide their scheme, when the patient had never seen the listed doctor and the medication had never actually been prescribed.
Naserdean and his co-conspirator caused over $5.6 million of loss to Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
And here’s your Paul Harvey “Rest of the Story” moment: Not all of these criminals are “from away” — just most of them.
July 2, 2025:
Federal court cases in Michigan
Usman Ahmad, 66, of Lake Orion, Durand Dynum, 46, of Canton, Ebony Daniels, 33, of Eastpointe and Allen Satawhite, 37, of Detroit, are charged with conspiracy to distribute and distribution of controlled substances. Investigators allege that Ahmad, a pharmacist who owned Detroit Hoover Pharmacy, used his business to illegally distribute drugs that doctors used at a clinic in Southfield. Dynum, Ebony Daniels and Satawhite are accused of recruiting fake patients to the Southfield clinic.
Wahid Makki, 62, and Zainab Makki, 62, both of Dearborn Heights, are accused of filing false claims to Medicaid and Medicare for prescription drugs for two pharmacies they operated. They agreed to pay the U.S. and Michigan $1.5 million to resolve a lawsuit. Additionally, Wahid Makki agreed to be barred from Medicaid, Medicare and other federal health care programs for 10 years.
Dr. Mohmmed Al-Shihabi, 55, of Northville, is charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and four counts of health care fraud. Authorities allege that Al-Shihabi submitted $450,000 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for services for beneficiaries. In exchange, he allegedly falsely certified the beneficiaries as homebound, resulting in $1.5 million in false claims for unnecessary home health services.
Dr. Priti Bhardwaj, 55, of Bloomfield Township, is charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and three counts of health care fraud. Bhardwaj is accused of accepting referrals of Medicare beneficiaries and submitting $1 million in fraudulent claims for services, receiving about $249,000. In exchange, Bhardwaj falsely certified the beneficiaries as homebound, allowing home health agencies to submit $790,000 in fraudulent claims.
Ali Naserdean, 32, of Dearborn, is charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and three counts of health care fraud. Investigators allege Naserdean, who owned a pharmacy, billed Medicare, Medicaid and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan more than $6 million for medications that they say were not were not prescribed or considered "medically unnecessary." Federal authorities seized $1.1 million in cash, a Range Rover and watches and bags, valued at about 1.2 million.
Paul Eric Lyons, 41, of Fraser, and Tiffany Nicole Childs, 35, of Sterling Heights, are charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a $1.4 million scheme. Lyons was also charged with identity theft. According to the Attorney's Office, the pair allegedly submitted claims of dental services at clinics where Lyons worked. Investigators say Lyons eventually created fake dental clinics and stole the information of actual patients where he worked and billed their insurers.
In addition to the individuals charged in federal court, Villa Financial Services LLC, Villa Olympia Investment LLC and six other Southeast Michigan Villa nursing homes agreed to pay $4.5 million to the U.S. and the state of Michigan to resolve a lawsuit. The businesses are accused of failing to provide services to nursing home residents, violating the False Claims Act.