Bergen County, New Jersey, Doctor Admits Making Millions in Cash Deposits to Avoid Paying Taxes on Medical Practice Income

NEWARK – A doctor who owns three immediate care facilities in Hudson County, New Jersey, today admitted making millions of dollars’ worth of cash deposits and fraudulently transferring his residence to a family member to evade taxes, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman and Tax Division Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo announced.

Medhat El Amir of Saddle River, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares in Newark federal court to Count One of an indictment, charging him with corruptly endeavoring to impede the due administration of the Internal Revenue Code, and Count Two, tax evasion, in connection with an individual income tax return for calendar year 2007.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

El Amir was a primary care doctor and 60 percent owner of Immediate Care P.C., which provided urgent care health services for patients at an office in North Bergen, New Jersey, and two offices in Jersey City, New Jersey.

From Feb. 11, 2005, through Dec. 31, 2010, El Amir attempted to impede the internal revenue laws in a number of ways. He admitted he fraudulently transferred his residence in Saddle River to his sister for $2.5 million to keep the property out of the reach of the IRS and the payroll taxes he owed through his former practice. El Amir also admitted cashing $7,261,083 in Immediate Care insurance company checks at a check cashing facility, depositing the majority of that income into a number of bank accounts to which he had access and using a portion of the money for personal expenses.

El Amir admitted he failed to report taxable income of $2,087,048 for the years 2007-2010, resulting in a $502,160 tax loss to the United States.

Despite earning a significant income through Immediate Care, El Amir did not file personal income tax returns, Forms 1040, for calendar years 2007, 2009 and 2010. While El Amir did file a personal income tax return for calendar year 2008, it substantially under-reported the income El Amir received from Immediate Care and claimed interest deductions to which he was not entitled. El Amir also caused to be sent to the IRS correspondence that under-reported the amount of income he and his wife received from Immediate Care in calendar year 2008.

The count of corruptly endeavoring to impede the due administration of the Internal Revenue Code carries a maximum potential penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of tax evasion carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for June 10, 2015.

U.S. Attorney Fishman and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo credited special agents of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman reorganized the health care fraud practice at the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office shortly after taking office, including creating a stand-alone Health Care and Government Fraud Unit to handle both criminal and civil investigations and prosecutions of health care fraud offenses. Since 2010, the office has recovered more than $635 million in health care fraud and government fraud settlements, judgments, fines, restitution and forfeiture under the False Claims Act, the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and other statutes.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah J. Gannett of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Health Care and Government Fraud Unit in Newark and Trial Attorney Shawn T. Noud of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

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Defense counsel: Samuel R. DeLuca Esq., Jersey City, N.J.

El Amir, Medhat Indictment