Lebanese-Born Cancer Doc Accused of Fraud will Stay in Jail
A Lebanese-born cancer doctor accused of intentionally misdiagnosing patients and ordering unnecessary treatments will remain in jail until trial, a judge said Wednesday after prosecutors insisted he might flee to the Middle East.
Dr. Farid Fata, in custody since Aug. 6, wanted the judge to lower his $9 million bond to $500,000 and give him a chance to win release.
"Obviously there is a presumption of innocence ... but the court feels there is a serious risk of flight. The charges are serious," U.S. District Judge Paul Borman said, in denying bond.
Fata, a naturalized U.S. citizen whose native country is Lebanon, is charged with committing fraud to enrich himself through health insurance programs. The government says some patients were repeatedly exposed to powerful drugs despite having no cancer. Fata denies it.
Outside the courthouse, about a dozen people protested his possible release. Signs read, "Without fail Fata will jump bail" and "No bond for death doctor."
The government says Fata has extensive business holdings, including Michigan Hematology-Oncology, a clinic that has received more than $169 million from Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield since 2006.
Defense attorney Christopher Andreoff told the judge that Fata's assets have been seized by the government or are tied up with liens, eliminating any chance that he has enough cash to dash to Lebanon. He proposed Fata be confined to home with an electronic monitor.
But prosecutor Catherine Dick said there's no assurance that Fata, facing years in prison if convicted, would stay in the U.S.
"We can't be sure how much money he has out there," she said.
Borman set a Feb. 4 trial date, but that could change after an update on the case scheduled for December.
03 October 2013, 10:48
85
Hey Roar, the press doesn't need to bring out the worst of Lebanese; HA is doing a good enough job on their own. Thanks to HA's policies, Lebanon continues to be perceived as a haven for terrorists. Therefore, mentioning that this scoundrel's homeland is Lebanon does have significance because although he is not a "terrorist" in the HA sense, he may flee and hide out in Lebanon as HA does when they commit murders or other crimes and then safely take refuge in HA-controlled areas. Who knows...HA may have already contacted him and offered him refuge in return for a nice chunk of the money he robbed.
03 October 2013, 10:52
46
do u prefer this headline instead?
PURE EVIL: Muslim Detroit-area cancer doctor, Farid Fata arrested by FBI FAKING cancer treatments to make money
03 October 2013, 10:59
68
Funny how the Lebanese are considered a flight risk yet jews taking flight to Israel is acceptable when faced with prosecution. Also, it probably wouldn't hurt the American system if a few of their judges and prosecutors were themselves prosecuted for milking the public tax system by unnecessarily prolonging trials.
03 October 2013, 11:25
65
Cityboy, the difference is if a jew who's on trial in the U.S. escaped to Israel, Israel would return him to the U.S.
03 October 2013, 13:06
36
jabal you're a liar, a US citizen fighting alongside alqaida (literally a member) and admitted to have killed people with more tangible proof that you could ask for, got a slap on the wrist with 3 years of probation and some community service. It's an isolated incident because most of those convicted of cooperating with alqaida end up getting harsh sentences. He was probably a cia agent. Point is, I hope you're not saying the US justice system is any better. For soldiers and other such personnel they're more corrupt than Lebanon.
03 October 2013, 17:36
51
So now you are not satisfied with blaming the Jews for all that is going on in the Middle East, you now claim that they are to blame for what goes on in the US.
By the way, no Jewish mother would name her son (Christ)opher. So I very much doubt that his defence attorney is a Jew, and why are you certain that Paul Borman is a Jew (if you knew anything of WWII - the name Bormann was borne by as very prominent Nazi).
03 October 2013, 11:07
08
the roar agreed why mention nationaliity. I guess it's because americans hold a negative stigma about arabs and like to point fingers and go 'hah! Arabs' not knowing they aren't any better in this particular asspect. Damn tabloids. i guess he can still be innocent. Probably isn't. Ah well.
03 October 2013, 11:43
25
Yet you don't complain when lebanese media mention the origins of a suspected culprit.
04 October 2013, 09:32
00
for the six 'dislike' sensitive souls put yourself or the closest person to you in the position where this animal abused 'killed' him or her (your child for instance)... will you still dislike my first comment? or the new world is about standing with the murderer instead of the innocent?!
03 October 2013, 14:32
01
bless you child for this info.
I stand besides him. Innocent until proven guilty. The point of this articles was not to discuss the event at hand but just mention how it's a Lebanese the prosecutee and for some reason that's all we need to know.
03 October 2013, 15:35
00
There's sometimes some doctors who are recognize as good Doctors by ordering a lot of drugs to their patient.
I used to avoid such Doctors.
As soon you tell your name they prescribe antibiotics and a long list of other products and patients are happy.
Just seems this guy went a bit over .
His political affiliation ,origins is not the issue.
03 October 2013, 16:54
01
lebcad I think we should wait for the trial and see what happens. Not giving him a $500,000 bail option makes sense to me. If he is guilty, I would not want to see him leave the country. If he isn't, he will be set free and I am sure will get compensated for the damage to his reputation. This is America. We don't like conspiracy theories here.
03 October 2013, 17:38
62
I'm against communautarism. Supporting people, such as voting for them in elections just because they're Lebanese is against my principles. Just like hanging out with people of my own country abroad is the worst one can do. I'd be doing like the Turks that everyone hates here. Integration is achieved when you stop doing all these things.
And I have relatives in the US and Canada who do this.... It's really bad!
03 October 2013, 21:48
20
'cause he can flee and land under the protection of Stateless Lebanon... dummy!
You idiots side with politicians of all sides who do NOTHING to fix a situation which deteriorates daily.
