Chicago laboratory owner charged with defrauding Medicare in $60 million COVID-19 test kit scheme

Chicago laboratory owner charged with defrauding Medicare in $60 million COVID-19 test kit scheme 
JD Supra; by Randall Brater, M.H. Joshua Chiu, Michael Dearington, Rebecca Foreman, Nadia Patel, D. Jacques Smith, Hillary Stemple; 6/17/24 
The Chicago-based owner of two laboratories, Zoom Labs Inc. and Western Labs Co., has been charged with health care fraud and money laundering in connection with more than $60 million in Medicare claims for over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 test kits, including tests delivered to thousands of deceased beneficiaries. Federal prosecutors began investigating Medicare claims from Syed S. Ahmed’s two laboratories after noticing a “massive spike” in the laboratories’ claims in 2023, which coincided with Ahmed assuming control of Zoom [Labs]. ... Ahmed is charged with health care fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1347 and money laundering under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1956 and 1957.