​2 In Southeast Michigan Accused Of Faking Medical Diagnoses

SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN — A psychologist and medical doctor in southeast Michigan have been accused in a criminal complaint for their role in a scheme to create fake medical diagnoses to help immigrants fraudulently obtain their U.S. citizenship, United States Attorney Matthew Schneider announced this week.

Firoza VanHorn, 70, a Bloomfield Hills psychologist, and medical doctor Muhammad Awaisi, 61, of Pontiac, face charges of visa fraud, false statements and unlawful distribution of controlled substances, prosecutors said.

“The allegations in this case are truly outrageous and are a disservice to every immigrant who comes to America and becomes a citizen the right and honest way," Schneider said.

According to the complaint, immigrants seeking to become naturalized U.S. citizens must first successfully demonstrate the ability to read, write and use the English language, and demonstrate a knowledge of United States history and government. These requirements, however, can be waived for immigrants who can prove that they are not able to meet the requirements because of physical or mental disabilities.

The complaint argues that Van Horn and Awaisi helped immigrants fraudulently obtain these waivers, and fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship by diagnosing the immigrants with medical conditions they did not have, documenting tests that were never performed on the immigrants, and prescribing medically unnecessary medication.

Van Horn typically received $500 each time she created the fake diagnosis and medical records, according to prosecutors. According to records from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Van Horn assisted 1,249 immigrants file requests for such waivers over the past four years alone, prosecutors said.

The complaint submits that a witness met with Van Horn at Van Horn’s office, and when Van Horn asked how the witness was feeling they explained that they had previously been in a car accident. The complaint alleges that Van Horn then wrote a report diagnosing the witness with Chronic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder caused by the witness being in a car accident, being held captive and assaulted by Sunni terrorists, being bombed, being jailed for a year by Saddam Hussein, being shot at a bus stop with friends and the witness being the lone survivor.

The complaint further reports that, as part of this conspiracy, Awaisi prescribed opioid painkillers to a patient, even though the patient was not in pain and did not tell Awaisi the patient was in pain.