By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS — The owner of Dearborn Heights Pharmacy, 25524 Ford Road, was indicted on federal charges involving an insurance fraud scheme.
The indictment filed on May 7 in the U.S. District Court for Eastern District of Michigan accuses pharmacist Nabil Fakih of defrauding Blue Cross Blue Shield, Medicare and Medicaid of $5 million by fraudulent claims for prescription drugs since January 2011.
Drugs including the anti-psychotic Clozapine and the sedative Alprazolam were written for people who were dead, according to the Detroit News.
Fakih also co-owns Dial Drugs, 8225 N. Merriman Road in Westland.
At Dearborn Heights Pharmacy, Fakih allegedly defrauded Medicare and Medicaid out of $3.6 million and Blue Cross out of $1.4 million. From the Westland pharmacy, Fakih allegedly defrauded Medicare and Medicaid of $569,670 and Blue Cross of $558,079.
Federal investigators conducted a raid May 8 at Dearborn Heights Pharmacy, taking away boxes from the inside. Calls made to Fakih’s attorney were not returned by press time.
A court date has not been set.
In 2014, Fakih was appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder to serve a four-year term on the Michigan Board of Pharmacy. Fakih and 10 other board members were responsible for regulating and inspecting the practice of pharmacy and drugs manufactured in Michigan, according to the “about us” section on the Dearborn Heights Pharmacy website.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at zeinabnajm92@gmail.com.)