It was further part of the scheme that, to reduce costs and increase Laboratory A’s profits, Alvi directed Laboratory A employees to alter Laboratory A’s PCR testing method by using less of the materials necessary to process the PCR test, including the reagents, knowing that this made the test results unreliable.ĭuring its operation, Laboratory A obtained over $83 million from the HRSA Uninsured Program as payment for COVID-19 tests purportedly performed by Laboratory A. It is further part of the scheme that, in order to conceal the fact that tests were not performed, Laboratory A did not release positive COVID-19 results on specimens where tests were eventually performed, because a purported negative result had already been released. It is alleged that Alvi directed Laboratory A employees to falsely indicate in Laboratory A’s records that COVID-19 tests had been performed for these individuals, when Alvi knew that the test specimens had been discarded at his own direction and had not been tested. The indictment further alleges that Alvi caused Laboratory A to provide negative test results to be released to individuals who had provided a specimen for testing, but for whom a COVID-19 test had not been performed. The fraudulent claims sought reimbursement for purported tests when Alvi knew that (a) Laboratory A had not performed a test for COVID-19 (b) Laboratory A had modified a test for COVID-19 such that the results were unreliable and (c) Laboratory A already had collected payment from the individuals who purportedly had been tested. As indicated in the indictment, Laboratory A enrolled in the HRSA Uninsured Program in or around December 2020.įrom approximately February 2021 through February 2022, Alvi along with others, are alleged to have knowingly devised, intended to devise, and participated in a scheme to defraud the government by causing Laboratory A to submit fraudulent claims and delivering inaccurate and unreliable test results to the public. Department of Health and Human Services that oversaw and administered the funds appropriated through federal legislation to cover the costs of COVID-19 testing for individuals without health insurance coverage (“the HRSA Uninsured Program”).

The Health Resources and Services Administration (“HRSA”) was an agency of the U.S. Laboratory A also offered a service where individuals and companies could pay a fee to receive COVID-19 PCR test results in an expedited fashion. Laboratory A purported to perform testing to detect for SARS-CoV-2 and offered two types of COVID-19 testing: PCR tests and antigen tests that delivered results within approximately 15 minutes (“rapid tests”). ZISHAN ALVI, 44, of Inverness co-owned and operated Laboratory A, a laboratory located in Chicago, Illinois. CHICAGO - A suburban Chicago man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on ten counts of wire fraud and one count of theft of government funds for purportedly submitting fraudulent claims for reimbursement on tests which were never performed, were performed improperly, or were already paid for by the client.

Covid rapid test chicago