WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. - A Michigan home healthcare company owner was sentenced to three years and five months for his role in a healthcare fraud conspiracy.

The conspiracy resulted in almost $7.9 million in false and fraudulent claims for home healthcare services paid by Medicare Part A.

Muhammad Zafar, 53, of Wayne County, was charged on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, and court documents revealed he owned and operated a home healthcare business in Michigan.

With three doctors and two other home healthcare company owners, Zafar offered kickbacks, bribes, and other inducements to beneficiary recruiters in exchange for Medicare beneficiary information. Zafar and his co-conspirators used this information to bill Medicare for services that were medically unnecessary and not provided.

Zafar pleaded guilty to submitting approximately $393,500 in claims to Medicare from his home healthcare company for medically unnecessary services that were ineligible for Medicare reimbursement and not provided as represented.

On June 17, 2015, the same day that Zafar appeared in court for his initial appearance, he violated his court-issued bond, crossed the international border into Canada, and shortly thereafter flew to Pakistan.

Zafar remained an international fugitive for approximately seven and a half years before returning to the United States to face the charges against him.

On May 29, Zafar pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud. He was sentenced to three years and five months.