"Corrupt psychiatrist" in Detroit fraud scheme identified as Dr. Mark Greenbain

July 15, 2013

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) announced the conviction of Detroit-area psychologist Sanyani Edwards for health care fraud. The DoJ's new release stated that Edwards was among 26 defendants convicted in a five-and-a-half-year health care fraud scheme involving a chain of over 20 Detroit-area pharmacies whose owner paid cash kickbacks to physicians in exchange for those physicians writing prescriptions, without regard to medical necessity, that could be billed to Medicare, Medicaid, or a private insurer through one of the pharmacies. 

Physicians affiliated with the owner of the chain would also write prescriptions for controlled substances for their patients, again regardless of medical necessity, which would then be filled at one of the pharmacies.  These controlled substances were distributed to patients and patient recruiters as a kickback in exchange for the patients using a pharmacy in the chain.  Pharmacists working for the chain would increase the pharmacies’ profits by billing insurers for medications never actually distributed to patients. 

The DoJ's news release also stated that Edwards worked with "a corrupt psychiatrist" to write fictitious prescriptions for patients which could then be billed at one of the pharmacies in the chain.

The DoJ did not identify the psychiatrist by name. However, an August 2011 DoJ press release identifies several doctors who were indicted in this same case. Only one was found to practice the speciality of psychiatry: Dr. Mark Greenbain.

At the same time, Detroit television station WDIV published a news story containing mug shots of several of the individuals who were charged, including one photo identified as being of Mark Greenbain.

Documents of the U.S. District Court show that Greenbain pleaded guilty May 20, 2013 to conspiracy to commit fraud, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to defraud the United States.