Psychiatrist Muhammad Cheema, Accused of Fraud, Due Back in Court in February

December 17, 2018

A federal judge adjourned the case of a New York psychiatrist charged with fraud on Friday.

Dr. Muhammad Cheema is accused of health care fraud and making false statements relating to healthcare matters. Prosecutors said he falsely reported the amount of time he spent with patients and some patients had to pay out-of-pocket for visits because they say Cheema stopped accepting insurance.

Defense attorneys asked for an adjournment so they can review the 10,000 pages of discovery handed over to them by the government. They also expect there will be more documents to review.

Since being indicted on the federal charges, Cheema has opened another practice to treat individuals with erectile dysfunction. The old sign at his office on Sully's Trail in Pittsford is gone. It is now boasts the home of Wave Medical Group.

Cheema was charged by criminal complaint in July 2018 with health care fraud and making false statements relating to health care matters. In August, a civil forfeiture complaint was filed against him, in which he was required to turn over $806,871.91 from three separate bank accounts, a 2015 Audi A8, a 2107 Mercedes Benz, and his home—all allegedly obtained through fraud and money laundering.

According to the criminal complaint, Cheema routinely changed office visit billing codes, billed insurance companies for telephone appointments as office visits, and regularly had 30 or more patients on his daily schedule while his daily private practice office hours were 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Cheema was employed by Rochester Regional Health from 2004 through 2017. He resigned by his own choosing in January of 2017. If convicted of the criminal charges, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Cheema is scheduled to be back in federal court on Monday, February 11, 2019 at 10:30 a.m.

Source: “Pittsford psychiatrist accused of fraud has case adjourned until February,” WHAMFriday, December 14, 2018, URL: https://13wham.com/news/local/pittsford-psychiatrist-accused-of-fraud-has-case-adjourned-until-february and “Civil Complaint Seeks $800K, Cars, and Home from New York Psychiatrist, Muhammad Cheema, Charged with Fraud,” WHEC-TV News 10, August 15, 2018, https://www.whec.com/news/civil-complaint-seeks-to-obtain-assets-from-pittsford-psychiatrist-charged-with-fraud/5031726/