Amtrak OIG investigation leads to prison time, $1.37 million in restitution for New Jersey doctor

May 10, 2024

NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey doctor was sentenced Tuesda to 26 months in prison for participating in a health care fraud scheme to defraud Amtrak, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey.

Muhammad Mirza, 51, of Cedar Grove, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty in April 2023 to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. In addition to the prison sentence, Mirza was sentenced to two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution of $1.37 million.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Mirza and his co-conspirators agreed to engage in a scheme to bill Amtrak’s health care plan for fraudulent claims for services that either were never provided or were medically unnecessary. They would recruit Amtrak employees to participate in the scheme by paying them to allow Mirza and his co-conspirators to use their patient and insurance information to submit false and fraudulent claims. Mirza and his co-conspirators submitted false and fraudulent claims that caused Amtrak losses of more than $1.3 million. The scheme lasted from April 2017 through June 2022.

In addition to the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, the case was supported by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Amtrak Police Department.

Reports of fraud, waste, or abuse; criminal or unethical acts affecting Amtrak’s property or operations; or mismanagement in Amtrak programs or operations can be made 24 hours a day via the Amtrak OIG Hotline at 1-800-468-5469 or online at https://direc.to/hPAu.

-###-