Detroit Area Doctors Charged With Illegal Distribution Of Prescription Drugs And Health Care Fraud
Contact: Public Information Officer
Number: (313) 234-4310
DETROIT - An indictment was unsealed today charging Dr. Hussein “Sam” Awada, 43, and Dr. Luis Collazo, 53, with the illegal distribution of prescription drugs and health care fraud, United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced today.
McQuade was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Robert L. Corso, U.S. Drug Enforcement (DEA), Detroit Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh, Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; and Special Agent in Charge, Robert D. Foley III, Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The 68-count superseding indictment charges that from December 2010 through 2012, Dr. Awada and Dr. Collazo distributed controlled substances, including the highly addictive drugs Oxycodone, Roxicodone, and Opana ER, outside the course of usual medical practice and for no legitimate purpose. Both defendants were also charged with billing Medicare and other health insurance programs for medically unnecessary testing and procedures.
The superseding indictment alleges that Dr. Awada used recruiters, including co-defendant James Lyons, 39, to bring patients to his “Midwest Family Practice” at two locations in Warren. After ordering unnecessary medical procedures, Dr. Awada gave controlled substance prescriptions to the recruiter in exchange for cash payments. The recruiter then sold the pills for profit on the illegal street market.
The superseding indictment also charges that Dr. Awada and Dr. Collazo committed health care fraud by billing for unnecessary office visits, submitting patients brought by recruiters to medically unnecessary testing and procedures (including x-rays, nuclear cardiac stress tests, electrocardiograms, blood work, and injections), and by causing Medicare and other insurance programs to pay for unnecessary controlled substances.
According to the superseding indictment, Dr. Collazo participated in the drug diversion and health care fraud scheme while he worked for Dr. Awada at the Midwest Family Practice on 12 Mile Road in Warren.
More than $600,000 in funds and three automobiles were seized during the course of the underlying investigation. The United States will pursue forfeiture of all proceeds and property traceable to the offenses charged.
U.S. Attorney McQuade said “Health care fraud diverts taxpayer dollars from needy patients to greedy criminals. We hope that our enforcement efforts will deter other doctors from engaging in fraud."
Robert L. Corso, DEA Special Agent in Charge said, "This indictment is another example of DEA's determination to combat the troubling prescription drug abuse problem in this country. The DEA and our partners in law enforcement will continue to investigate and bring to justice those individuals that are responsible for the illegal distribution of prescription medicines."
Dr. Collazo will be arraigned on the superseding indictment on Friday, June 21. Dr. Awada will be arraigned on Monday, June 24.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement (DEA), HHS-OIG, and FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wayne Pratt, Sarah Resnick Cohen and Gjon Juncaj and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Bidwell.
