Doctor Enters Guilty Plea In Obstruction Case

Dr. Mahmoud Yassin, 60, of Robinson, IL, pled guilty in federal district court for obstructing a criminal health care fraud investigator, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Dr. Yassin will be sentenced for this felony offense on May 30, 2013, in Benton, Illinois, at which time he may be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, a special assessment of $100, and a period of up to 3 years of supervised release following prison.

Court proceedings revealed that the felony obstruction occurred on March 2, 2012, when a FBI agent, having served a subpoena for patient records on Dr. Yassin, was given a patient progress note that had been altered by the doctor to show an in-office examination previously claimed to an insurance carrier, but which had not taken place.

The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Illinois State Police Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Michael Quinley.