A Canfield doctor is expected to change an earlier not guilty plea in connection with an alleged Medicare and Medicaid kickback scheme.

According to federal court records, Dr. Samir Wahib has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors and has been scheduled for a change of plea hearing on June 7.

The OBGYN was scheduled to go on trial in April on 11 counts including Conspiracy to Solicit, Receive, Offer and Pay Kickbacks in Connection with a Federal Health Care Program, Offering or Paying Kickbacks in Connection with a Federal Health Care Program, Conspiracy to Commit Health Fraud, Health Care Fraud, and Obstruction of a Criminal Investigation of Federal Health Care Offenses

Wahib would be the third of three doctors 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 of 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 May 2, while Kapon’s sentencing is set for May 3.