Two Michigan home healthcare agency owners were convicted of various offenses for their participation in a $33 million Medicare fraud scheme, government officials announced.  

Zafar Mehmood, 49, and Badar Ahmadani, 48, were convicted of participating in the falsification of records to resemble patients that qualified for covered Medicare services at one of Mehmood’s four home healthcare agencies. Evidence from the trial also showed that the defendants paid physicians to refer patients for unnecessary services at Mehmood’s companies, authorities explained Monday.

Additionally, Mehmood was charged with stealing documents from a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General facility, which were seized during the execution of search warrants at his companies. Documents were found in Mehmood’s jail cell by law enforcement officials.

As a result, both defendants were convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and one count of conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks. Mehmood also was convicted of four counts of healthcare fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, two counts of money laundering and two counts of obstruction of justice for the theft of OIG evidence.

Mehmood’s home healthcare agencies are Access Care Home Care Inc.; Patient Care Home Care Inc.; Hands on Healing Home Care Inc.; and All State Home Care Inc.

This article originally appeared on McKnight's