Dr Farid Fata, a Lebanese born former hematologist/oncologist, is the mastermind of one of the largest health care frauds in U.S. history, If he doesn’t terrify people about not getting a second opinion, I don’t know what will. Can you imagine having been one of his healthy patients who trusted him and began cancer treatment on his word alone?
George Karadsheh, who worked for Dr. Farid Fata’s Crittenton Cancer Center in Rochester Hills, Michigan, said he started asking questions after staffers kept leaving the practice. When Karadsheh learned that a different oncologist in the practice was quitting, he said the doctor told him it was because Fata was administering chemotherapy to patients who didn’t need it. “So, at that point I discovered that there may be some issues there.”
Fata was a trusted oncologist in the community. He was trained at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York and founded Michigan Hematology and Oncology, Inc., the state's largest private cancer practice at the time of his arrest. "It was so difficult to believe," Karadsheh said. "Here is a physician whose background is second to none in Michigan... I had never had a patient complain that there was a problem with a reaction to a drug or whether it was necessary. "But in 2013, after Karadsheh found out what was going on, he spoke to the U.S. Department of Justice. On Aug 6, 2013, FBI agents arrested Fata and stormed the Crittenton Cancer Center.
Fata, 50, was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison after pleading guilty last year to fraud, money laundering and conspiracy charges. “I’m relieved that Dr. Fata has been held accountable,” Karadsheh said. “But I’m also very sad because I feel the patients endured pain and suffering that’s going to last far longer than the sentence that was imposed upon Dr. Fada.” At least 553 victims had been identified, with Fata often prescribing treatments for cancer they didn’t have, telling some they had a terminal blood cancer called multiple myeloma.
“I have never seen a case anywhere close to this,” Barbara McQuade, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan said. “We have a lot of cases involving Medicare fraud here where doctors submit fraudulent billings, but those cases really are all about money. This case was unique in that it was really about patient harm and really harm that was unimaginable.” In the Detroit federal courthouse Fata sobbed as he spoke prior to sentencing. Speaking to victims of his treatment and their families in attendance, Fata said he had violated the Hippocratic oath and caused "anguish, hardship and pain. I misused my talents, yes, and permitted this sin to enter me because of power and greed," Fata told the court.
Fata often told cancer free patients they were lucky he caught the cancer early and that they may need maintenance chemo for the rest of their lives. He often told terminal patients who were in hospice that they could be cured, removed them from hospice and put them back on chemo until they died. The poor people and their families thought the doctor was killing them but instead he was using them to make money off of until their last dying breaths.
“Fata’s heinous acts did far worse than defraud government health care programs and breach his professional oath,” said Special Agent in Charge Abbate. “Fata caused grievous emotional and physical harm, betraying the trust of hundreds of innocent patients by selfishly placing his personal financial gain over the health and welfare of those who entrusted him with their medical care. The many brave individuals impacted by this defendant’s criminal acts had the strength to come forward, express their experiences of pain and suffering, and collaborate with law enforcement and prosecutors to ensure that Fata’s despicable actions were brought to an end and justice delivered.”
“It is startling and abhorrent when greed is so potent that it drives a medical professional to recklessly abandon the most basic and important principle of his profession, ‘First, Do No Harm,” said Special Agent in Charge Pugh. “Dr. Fata did just that when he falsely diagnosed his patients with cancer and administered toxic chemotherapy with potentially harmful and even deadly side effects. Today’s sentencing is a clear message that, working closely with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate, charge and prosecute medical professionals who jeopardize the health of patients.”
“This is the most egregious case of fraud and deception that I have seen in my career," said Chief Weber. “Dr. Fata not only defrauded the government out of millions of dollars, but he lied to his patients about their health and intentionally put their lives at risk. In fact, because of his lies, some of those patients who he was entrusted to care for likely died as a result of his actions. This defendant greedily cared more about his own financial well-being than the lives of his patients. This disgusting and diabolical scheme has hurt hundreds of patients and their families and stolen from them something that no punishment from the court can do to make them whole.”
What a horrible, horrible man.
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