Hendersonville Doctor and Her Office Manager Husband Indicted as Part of the Department of Justice's 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown

NASHVILLE – Today, Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee announced criminal charges against two defendants in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield for inpatient hospital services that were never provided. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.

“Our office will vigorously pursue those who would defraud American taxpayers by these illegal health care fraud schemes,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “The charges announced today are just our latest effort to crack down on health care fraud in the nation’s health care capital. Nashville is a great place for honest health care business and a terrible place for those who would commit health care fraud.”

“Today’s record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown sends a crystal-clear message to criminal actors, both foreign and domestic, intent on preying upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers: we will find you, we will prosecute you, and we will hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”

The charges announced today by Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in alleged false billings and over 15.6 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. In connection with the Takedown, the Government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets.

The following individuals were charged in the Middle District of Tennessee:

• Xuhan Zhang a/k/a “Shelia Zhang” a/k/a “Xuhan Mei,” 62, and Jing Qi Mei, 65, both of Hendersonville, Tennessee, were charged by indictment with a conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, false statements related to health care, aggravated identity theft, a money laundering conspiracy, and money laundering, in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield for inpatient hospital services purportedly provided by Zhang, a medical doctor, and billed by Mei between 2017 and 2025. The inpatient physician services were never provided, including because the hospital closed, the patients were actually in nursing homes, and in many instances, the patients were deceased. The defendants billed for services that exceeded twenty-four hours in a day. In connection with the scheme, Zhang and Mei submitted to Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield approximately $20 million in fraudulent claims of which approximately $6.5 million were paid. The Asset Forfeiture Unit seized approximately $6,000,000 in proceeds from bank accounts, and a Tesla CyberTruck. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Robert Levine and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Bogni, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Toussaint is handling asset forfeiture.

“The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said HHS-OIG Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.”

The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorneys General’s Offices for California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team used cutting-edge data analytics to identify and support the investigations that led to these charges.

Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.

The Middle District of Tennessee, in particular, worked with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) to investigate and prosecute this case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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