Guilty Plea Set Next Week In Case Of Bad Spinal Surgeries
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - A guilty plea is in the works for a Detroit-area doctor accused of hurting patients and cheating insurers through spinal surgeries that weren't performed as promised.
Federal Judge Paul Borman has set a plea hearing for next Friday. Prosecutors have used the word "butcher" to describe the medical practice of Dr. Aria Sabit.
Sabit is accused of billing insurers for bogus procedures and deceiving patients about how he planned to fix their spines. The 40-year-old doctor allegedly promised patients certain spinal surgeries to alleviate their pain, but actually performed other procedures that brought no relief. The indictment against him says patients didn't know about faulty back surgeries until they had another doctor examine them.
Sabit, who been in custody since his arrest in November, has pleaded not guilty to fraud charges. The Oakland County man surrendered his California medical license last summer after similar malpractice allegations.
MORE: FBI Announces Hotline For Information Pertaining To Back Surgeon Charged With Fraud
The criminal complaint against Sabit describes allegations of malpractice involving five patients, but the FBI believes there are many more who learned their back surgery wasn't the procedure promised by the doctor.
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