Texas Doctor Resentenced to Prison Following Appeal

TYLER – A 65-year-old Dallas County physician has been resentenced in Tyler to federal prison for health care fraud and identity theft violations. In July 2014, Tariq Mahmood of Cedar Hill was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, seven counts of health care fraud, and seven counts of aggravated identity theft. That followed a four-day trial in Tyler federal court.

According to information presented in court, Mahmood, a general practitioner, owned and operated several hospitals in Texas. Those included Cozby Germany Hospital in Grand Saline, Renaissance Terrell Hospital in Terrell, Central Texas Hospital in Cameron, Community General Hospital in Dilley, and Lake Whitney Medical Center in Whitney. From January 2010 to April 2013, Mahmood and others carried out a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid through the submission of false and fraudulent claims.

Mahmood and others added, changed, and incorrectly sequenced diagnostic codes in a way that did not reflect the actual diagnoses and conditions of the patients and often did so without reviewing the medical records. They submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid based on the added, changed, and incorrectly sequenced diagnostic codes. Mahmood and others also unlawfully used Medicare beneficiaries’ names and Medicare numbers in order to commit health care fraud.

Following his appeal, Mahmood was resentenced to 135 months in federal prison. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $145,358.23 to Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.