A dozen doctors and four individuals from Michigan and Ohio have received federal prison sentences and were slapped with hefty fines as part of a wide-ranging scheme that distributed 6.6 million pills and submitted $250 million in false billings, officials announced Thursday.
The 16 defendants, according to a U.S. Department Of Justice press release, were part of a scheme that involved pain clinics spanning multiple states. Seven other people connected to the operation still await sentencing.
Among the highest-profile defendants is Dr. Frank (Francisco) Patino, 67, of Woodhaven, who was convicted last fall in a $120 million scheme that prosecutors say involved more than 2.2 million pills, one of the largest health care fraud schemes in U.S. history. Also involved was Mashiyat Rashid, Patino's business partner and part-owner of the clinics, who purchased private jet flights, tickets to NBA Finals games and real estate. He was sentenced in March 2021 to 15 years in federal prison.
