Phony Chiropractor Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud

PHILADELPHIA—Tahib Smith Ali, 35, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty today to 50 counts of health care fraud, 50 counts of false statements in health care matters, and one count of aggravated identity theft, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. Between January 2009 and December 2009, Ali posed as a chiropractor and physical therapist while operating a Philadelphia clinic known as “Oasis Holistic Healing Village,” located on S. 17th Street in Philadelphia. Ali, who holds no medical licenses, saw patients, represented to them that he was a chiropractor, and submitted approximately $1.5 million in fraudulent claims for chiropractic services to Independence Blue Cross (IBC) under the name and medical provider number of a licensed chiropractor who no longer worked at the clinic. Ali also billed IBC for chiropractic services that were never actually provided and for patient visits that never occurred.

Ali faces a mandatory two-year prison term for aggravated identity theft in addition to a possible sentence of more than 30 months, under advisory sentencing guidelines, for the health care fraud and false statements counts. He also faces possible fines. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled by U.S. District Court Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney M. Beth Leahy.