Dr. Samir Wahib, a 54-year-old obstetrician-gynecologist practicing at Sullivan County and Union hospital has plead guilty to all five charges outlined in his indictment in a kickback scheme that defrauded Medicaid and Medicare. He is the third physician to be convicted in the case.

In a federal court hearing held in Cleveland, Dr. Wahib entered a guilty plea for conspiracy to solicit, receive, offer, and pay kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program, as well as offering or paying kickbacks in relation to a federal health care program. Additionally, he admitted to conspiracy to commit health fraud, health care fraud, and obstruction of a criminal investigation of federal health care offenses.

The kickback scheme involved three medical providers, including Dr. Joni Canby, 63, and Dr. Michelle Kapon, 43, both from the Youngstown area. According to federal prosecutors, the doctors collaborated between March 2014 and January 2017 to unlawfully obtain reimbursements for medically unnecessary testing.

Specifically, Dr. Wahib conspired with Dr. Canby and Dr. Kapon to induce them into ordering gonorrhea and chlamydia testing, which would be performed by Dr. Wahib on specimens from their patients. In exchange, he would pay them kickbacks for their cooperation, while also billing the federal government for the tests, ultimately defrauding taxpayer-funded health care benefit programs.

“Their alleged conduct … was designed specifically to enrich themselves,” stated Bridget Brennan, then-acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, in a 2021 press release. Lamont Pugh III, special agent in charge of the Chicago region office of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General, emphasized that such kickback schemes can lead to overutilization of diagnostic testing and waste valuable taxpayer dollars, putting patients at risk of receiving medically unnecessary services.

Both Dr. Canby and Dr. Kapon had already pleaded guilty to their involvement in the scheme. Dr. Canby’s sentencing is scheduled for June 23, while Dr. Kapon is set to be sentenced on July 5.

Dr. Wahib is now awaiting his sentencing, which is scheduled for 2 p.m. on September 12 before Judge J. Philip Calabrese. Prior to the sentencing, the U.S. Pretrial and Probation Department will conduct a thorough presentence report on Dr. Wahib’s criminal history and background.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost expressed concerns about the impact of such fraudulent practices on patients, stating, “Subjecting patients to unnecessary tests is bad medicine.”

The authorities are determined to bring accountability to those involved in this health care fraud, safeguarding taxpayer resources and the integrity of the medical profession.

This story originally appeared in the Youngstown Vindicator by Ed Runyan on June 8th, 2023. Portions of this article were generated using artificial intelligence.