Munir Uwaydah, MD, a California orthopedic surgeon, was arrested in Germany after being charged in a huge health fraud scheme including unnecessary surgery, according to an ABC News report.
Dr. Uwaydah is accused of allowing his physician's assistant to perform surgery without supervision on his patients. The patients sustained injuries and psychological trauma after these procedures. Here are five key notes on the case:
1. Dr. Uwaydah and 14 associates are charged with a single conspiracy count, 32 counts of insurance fraud, three counts of illegal client referrals and 18 counts of aggravated mayhem. The associates include another physician and a lawyer.
2. The group is accused in the $150 million insurance scheme. Eleven of the co-defendants are held with bail as high as $21.5 million and Dr. Uwaydah is awaiting extradition from Germany.
3. The case includes Dr. Uwaydah's office assistant who was acquitted of murdering his ex-girlfriend two years ago. Dr. Uwaydah and his ex-girlfriend's father were involved in a failed business deal; Dr. Uwaydah was never charged in the case.
4. The case also includes a "conspiracy to pay attorneys and marketers up to $10,000 a month to illegally refer patients." Workers' compensation patients were among those illegally referred to Dr. Uwaydah and his related businesses.
5. In addition to the initial counts, Dr. Uwaydah and his physician's assistant were charged with three more counts of aggravated mayhem. Dr. Uwaydah's lawyer is also charged with conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, money laundering, illegal patient referrals and filing tax returns in a related 75-count indictment.
6. Dr. Uwaydah faces life in prison if convicted.