Jan 18, 20173 min
If you’ve been nicknamed the “Greedy Butcher”, you certainly have lost favor with the general public. And, in the case of Dr. Aria Sabit, his diminished reputation has come with good reason. The Afghani immigrant, who apparently obtained his U.S. citizenship illegally, recently pleaded guilty in a Detroit federal court to charges that include defrauding the Medicare system of over $33 million.
As reported by Anna Hopkins in the U.K.-based Daily Mail last week, Sabit’s reprehensible actions didn’t stop at bilking the health insurance program of millions. He also performed hundreds of unnecessary spinal surgeries in both Michigan and California. His “Greedy Butcher” moniker is as much a commentary about his horrendous medical practices as it is his penchant for robbing the system.
Many of Sabit’s victims endured crippling ailments as a result of their surgeries and are now either confined to wheelchairs, require the use of canes or subject to taking multiple medications to deal with their pain. As a result, many of them are calling for a lengthy prison sentence for Sabit. Several were present in the courtroom on January 9th to make their pleas to Judge Paul Borman.
“His punishment could result in life behind bars,” reports Hopkins, “The FBI reported that he embezzled as much as $600,000 in his eight and 10-year-old children’s bank accounts to cover up his crimes, according to Detroit News. He is also accused of falsely obtaining U.S. citizenship in 2013.” And while Sabit robbed Medicare of millions, it can be argued that his worst crimes were the botched surgeries.
Hopkins notes that he failed to install vital medical devices in his patients during their surgeries. One of his victims, Rick Porterfield, worked as an executive at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, California, when Sabit was a staff member. He has now been forced to retire due to complications from the surgery that Sabit performed. “Every move I make hurts,” he is quoted as saying.
Tonocca Scott is another one of Sabit’s victims. The 40 year-old Ypsilanti, Michigan native was left crippled and in chronic pain following a botched back surgery performed by the disgraced doctor. To add insult to injury, while Sabit’s victims suffered through the pain associated with his poorly performed surgeries, the doctor enjoyed a life in the affluent Bloomfield Hills area in northern Detroit. He lived in a $2 million mansion, purchased with his fraudulent earnings from Medicare, reports Hopkins.
She goes on to point out that Sabit’s heinous actions in Michigan should never have taken place considering the fact that he was “forced to surrender his medical license in California after facing more than two dozen similar medical malpractice suits between 2009 and 2010. However, after simply picking up and moving to Michigan, those troubles disappeared as he wasn’t required to inform new patients of his previous legal complaints.”
At Allegiant Experts, we hate to hear of such devious acts in the medical field. It’s a top reason that our team of clinical experts is so dedicated to helping attorneys who represent patients who have suffered due to medical malpractice. As well, we proudly contribute to the cases of attorneys who are combating instances of healthcare fraud in court.
For more information about our experience, expertise and how we may be able help your case, please don’t hesitate to call us at 407-217-5831 or email us at info@allegiantexperts.com.
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