Office of the
Illinois Attorney General
Kwame Raoul

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced his office charged a Cook County physician alleging he fraudulently received over $1 million in Medicaid and Medicare payments for care and prescriptions he did not render to Medicaid and Medicare patients.

The Attorney General’s office charged Mohammad Khamis, 56, of River Forest, with six counts of theft, Class X felonies punishable by up to 30 years in prison; one count of money laundering, a Class 1 non-probational felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison; one count of managed health care fraud and one count of vendor fraud, both Class 1 felonies punishable by up to 15 years in prison; and two counts of forgery, Class 3 felonies punishable by up to five years in prison. Khamis is currently detained at the Cook County Department of Corrections, and his next court date is Nov. 26. 

“Physicians have an ethical obligation to treat their patients with integrity and transparency. Physicians also have a moral obligation to the taxpayers and the millions of Illinoisans who rely upon Medicaid and Medicare to obtain their health care,” Raoul said. “I will continue to work in collaboration with our federal government partners to identify and hold accountable the individuals who steal from these critical programs for personal financial benefit.”

According to Attorney General Raoul’s office, Khamis is a physician who owned and operated four private medical practices and four pharmacies in Chicago. Raoul’s office alleges Khamis orchestrated fraud schemes that involved submitting payment for medical services he claimed to have provided but was really out of the country. Services were allegedly provided by a student from Khamis’ non-certified medical school in Bosnia who acted as a doctor and examined patients while Khamis was out of the country – despite not being licensed. Raoul’s office is alleging Khamis fraudulently billed Medicaid and Medicare for over $1 million in medical services and prescriptions the student provided while Khamis was out of the country.

The Attorney General’s office is prosecuting this case following an investigation by Raoul’s Medicaid Fraud Bureau, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General – Office of Investigations (HHS-OIG), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Marshals Service.

“The allegations in this case reflect a troubling scheme that not only defrauded our federal health care programs, but also placed patient safety at risk,” said Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HHS-OIG.  “This investigation exemplifies the strength of our coordinated law enforcement efforts.  HHS-OIG is proud to work alongside our state partners to safeguard the integrity of our Medicaid program and to ensure that those who compromise patient care for personal profit are held accountable.” 

“Physicians who commit healthcare fraud violate the sacred trust placed in them and undermine the safety and integrity of their colleagues, their profession, and the entire healthcare community to which they took an oath of service,” said Shane R. Catone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. DEA Chicago Field Division. “The DEA Chicago Field Division, in collaboration with our federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, remains committed to keeping Americans safe from anyone who exploits the financial, pharmaceutical, and criminal systems." 

“The scheme orchestrated by the subject exploited the nation’s limited pool of health care resources by stealing from America’s most vulnerable populations and putting them at risk when placed under the “care” of an unlicensed, fraudulent medical provider,” said Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI Chicago Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work side-by-side with our valued partners in the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, HHS-OIG, and DEA to ensure that those who choose to engage in criminal activity will face justice for their actions.” 

The public is reminded that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

Deputy Chief Steven Krueger and Assistant Attorney General Daniel Duffy are prosecuting this case for Raoul’s Medicaid Fraud Bureau.