An Avon doctor has pleaded guilty to playing a role in a telemedicine scheme, according to the Cleveland branch of the FBI.
Mohammed Ahmad, 38, of Avon, pleaded guilty to submitting orders for patients in connection with a durable medical equipment (DME) scheme that caused Medicare to be billed thousands of dollars.
Court documents revealed that Ahmed has been a licensed doctor in Ohio since 2014, and he worked as a contractor for Lifeline Recruiting Inc., based in Florida, providing telemedicine services, the FBI said.
According to the FBI, Lifeline Recruiting bought “leads” of Medicare beneficiaries and used call center services to locate and target people who were eligible to receive orthotic braces and other DME. Lifeline provided pre-completed orders for Ahmad to review and sign to authorize treatment with DME as medically necessary— despite the fact that he did not conduct the tests that his orders indicated he had performed or personally examine patients.
From November 2018 up until May 2019, medical orders that Ahmad signed caused roughly $267,402 in false and fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicare, and approximately $126,643 was paid, the FBI said.
On July 9, he pleaded guilty after being charged for making false statements related to health care matters in connection with the DME telemedicine scheme.
The FBI says Ahmad faces a maximum of up to five years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The sentencing still has yet to be scheduled.
The FBI Cleveland Division and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General conducted this investigation.
"This case is part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The Takedown is part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that brought criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss," the FBI said in a press release. "The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers."
If you would like to know more information, CLICK HERE: justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/2025-national-health-care-fraud-takedown.
According to the FBI, the owner of Lifeline Recruiting, Alicia Hiller, pleaded guilty in March to charges related to the scheme. Her sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 5 in the Southern District of Florida.
You can report health care fraud and abuse by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS (8477).
