Michigan CEO pleads guilty in $300M opioid fraud scheme

The CEO of a collection of pain clinics and a diagnostic laboratory in Michigan pleaded guilty to playing a role in a $300 million opioid fraud scheme to fund an extravagant lifestyle such as buying Hermes products, exotic vehicles like a Lamborghini, a mansion and courtside seats at the NBA Finals. According to the Justice Department, Mashiyat Rashid, 38, who was CEO of the Tri-County Wellness Group of medical providers, was involved in a scheme to distribute more than 6.6 million units of controlled substances. As part of his plea, Rashid admitted that he conspired with physicians to require Medicare beneficiaries who wished to obtain pain pills to first submit to expensive, medically unnecessary and painful injections to increase revenue, the Justice Department said. Some of those individuals were addicted to narcotics.