Bay Area Doctor, Unqualified Interpreter charged with Worker’s Compensation Fraud
Photo: Dr. Tariq Mirza
SANTA CLARA COUNTY – Authorities recently charged a Bay Area Doctor and unqualified interpreter with Worker’s Compensation Fraud.
Dr.Tariq Mirza, 60, of Union City, and his accomplice Gabriela Pacheco, 46, of San Jose have each been charged with felony fraud. After all, the duo conspired to bill insurance companies thousands of dollars for translation services that were illegal or non-existent.
Pacheco billed companies for patients with Latino surnames for which she hadn’t done any work at all. Mirza would then charge insurance companies for work that was never certified and or was non-existent.
“There’s a reason you have to be certified to do these translations,” prosecutor Julie Sousa said. “This includes qualified interpreters to translate everything from their surgery risks to medication instructions.”
The pair face charges of conspiracy to commit workers’ compensation billing fraud and unlawful kickbacks for patient referrals. They charged Latino speaking patients for interpretive fees despite unqualified interpretive services provided.
Pacheco billed more than 100 insurance companies for fictitious interpreting services. The District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation found defendant Pacheco’s claim of being an administrator and self-insured employer was falsified. Pacheco was in fact not qualified to perform interpretive work specified under the California Code of Regulations.
The Franchise Tax Board, in alignment with the DA’s office, examined thousands of records. They uncovered over $100,000 of kickbacks from Pacheco to Mirza through payments made by third parties.
“In 2017, DA investigators discovered that Mirza submitted written reports to at least six insurance companies falsely identifying Pacheco as a “licensed interpreter,” prosecutor Julie Sousa said. “A search of Pacheco’s home business revealed over a thousand patient files containing medical information, in violation of medical record privacy laws.”
Bay Area Doctor, Unqualified Interpreter charged with Worker’s Compensation Fraud was last modified: June 8th, 2018 by
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