Third Valley doctor convicted in Medicare, Medicaid kickback case
A Canfield doctor has pleaded guilty to five federal charges filed in connection with an alleged Medicare and Medicaid kickback scheme.
Dr. Samir Wahib on Wednesday pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to solicit, receive, offer, and pay kickbacks in connection with a Federal Health Care Program, and four counts of Offering or paying Kickbacks in Connection with a Federal Health Care Program. Other charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 12.
Word of the plea deal came before the OBGYN was scheduled to go on trial in April on 11 counts.
Wahib is the third doctor to enter a plea in an alleged scheme for testing that was not medically necessary.
In November, Dr.Joni Canby pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Solicit, Receive, Offer, and Pay Kickbacks in Connection with a Federal Health Care Program, and two counts of Conspiracy to Solicit, Receive, Offer and Pay Kickbacks in Connection with a Federal Health Care Program.
As part of a plea deal, other charges were dropped.
Doctor Michelle Kapon pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to solicit, receive, offer, and pay kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program and two counts of receipt of kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program.
According to court documents, Kapon, of Youngstown, and OBGYN Canby, of Poland, received kickbacks from Wahib after sending samples from their patients to him for gonorrhea and chlamydia testing.
Investigators say that Wahib paid $20 in kickbacks to Canby and $15 to Kapon for every specimen they sent to him. Wahib would, in turn, allegedly submit claims to the federal government for payment for the tests.
The government claims the payments were disguised as “physician coverage” on checks from Wahib’s business account.
Between 2014 and 2017, Wahib paid $31,520 to Kapon and Canby, while Wahib submitted 42 related claims to Medicare and Medicaid, according to investigators.
Canby is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, while Kapon’s sentencing is set for July 5.