Dr. Farid Fata, owner of hematology and oncology offices in the Detroit area and in Lapeer, was accused of ordering chemotherapy for patients who didn't need or couldn't benefit from the physically taxing cancer treatment.
 
DETROIT, MI -- A doctor accused of putting patients through unnecessary chemotherapy pleaded guilty Tuesday to 13 counts of health care fraud, two counts of money laundering and one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S., according to court records.

U.S. District Judge Paul D. Borman was scheduled on Tuesday to hear arguments on a motion from Farid Fata's lawyers seeking to suppress evidence gained from the Oakland County doctor's email account.

Instead, Fata, who was facing 29 total counts of health care fraud, conspiracy and other charges, appeared before Borman and pleaded guilty to most of them.

He was accused of administering unnecessary cancer treatments to patients who were either terminal or in remission.

The accusations were based on FBI interviews with employees of the doctor's Michigan Hematology Oncology Centers, which included offices in Clarkston, Bloomfield Hills, Lapeer, Sterling Heights, Troy and Oak Park.

There were allegations of deliberate misdiagnosis to justify cancer treatments, administration of chemotherapy to terminal patients who would not benefit from treatment, fabricated diagnoses of anemia and fatigue to justify unnecessary hematology treatment and distribution of prescription drugs at dangerous levels.

One oncologist who worked for Fata told investigators he was so disturbed by one case that he advised a patient never to return to Fata's offices after chemotherapy treatment was ordered even though the cancer was inactive.

The oncologist described working for Fata as "living with this hell," according to court documents.

Fata's oncology centers submitted about $109 million in Medicare claims for chemotherapy and other cancer treatments between August 2007 and July 2013, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.

In one bizarre and grave allegation, a male patient fell down and hit his head at one of the offices, and Fata was accused of insisting that he receive his chemotherapy before be taken to the emergency room.

The full complaint that was filed against Fata can be viewed fata complaint.pdf .