An Avon doctor has pleaded guilty to participating in a telemedicine scheme, according to the FBI’s Cleveland branch.
Mohammed Ahmad, 38, of Avon, pleaded guilty to submitting orders for patients as part of a durable medical equipment (DME) scheme that cost Medicare thousands of dollars.
According to court documents, Ahmed has been a licensed doctor in Ohio since 2014 and worked as a contractor for Lifeline Recruiting Inc., a Florida-based company that provides telemedicine services, the FBI said.
According to the FBI, Lifeline Recruiting purchased “leads” of Medicare beneficiaries and used call center services to locate and target people who were eligible for orthotic braces and other durable medical equipment. Lifeline provided Ahmad with pre-completed orders to review and sign to authorize DME treatment as medically necessary, despite the fact that he did not perform the tests specified in his orders or personally examine patients.
From November 2018 to May 2019, medical orders signed by Ahmad resulted in the submission of approximately $267,402 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, with approximately $126,643 paid, according to the FBI.
On July 9, he pleaded guilty to making false statements about health care matters in connection with the DME telemedicine scheme.
According to the FBI, Ahmad faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will impose a sentence after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division and the United States Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General.
“This case is part of the DOJ’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. “The Takedown is part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that brought criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss,” the FBI said in a press release. “The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.”
According to the FBI, Lifeline Recruiting’s owner, Alicia Hiller, pleaded guilty in March to charges related to the scheme. Her sentencing is scheduled for November 5 in the Southern District of Florida.
