Naimetulla Ahmed Syed, MD has entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments and agreed to pay $455,439.26 to resolve allegations that he violated the federal and state False Claims Acts and the civil provisions of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) relating to his issuance of medically unnecessary controlled substances prescriptions. Syed is licensed as a doctor of psychiatry and was the sole practitioner at his medical offices in Danbury and New Haven. It is alleged that, between June 2016 and June 2021, Syed issued medically unnecessary prescriptions — including prescriptions for controlled substances — for which Syed caused false claims to be submitted by Cornerstone Pharmacy, Inc. (doing business as Whalley Drug) in New Haven to Medicare and Medicaid for those medically unnecessary prescriptions. Syed also billed Medicare and Medicaid for medically unnecessary office visits related to those medically unnecessary prescriptions. In addition, it is alleged that Syed issued prescriptions for controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose and not in the usual course of professional practice, in violation of Syed’s obligations under the CSA.
On June 16, 2021, Syed voluntarily surrendered his DEA licenses. In addition to making payment of $455,439.26 under the civil settlement agreement, Syed agreed to a 20-year exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid, and all other federal healthcare programs, as well as a 20-year suspension from the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program. Syed also entered into an agreement with the Connecticut Department of Public Health in which he agreed to cease the practice of medicine as of November 25, 2024, and to not renew his physician license, which expires this month. In 2016, Syed paid $422,641.70 to resolve federal and state allegations that he submitted false claims for psychotherapy services to Medicare and Medicaid.
