Ganiu Edu, MD, 50, an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist in Warren, Michigan is charged with 11 counts of aiding and abetting health care fraud and 2 counts of aiding and abetting illegal distribution of controlled substances. The charges are for allegedly prescribing opioids as a way of inducing patients to come in for office visits, where patients were then allegedly giving services in exchange for addictive drugs.

Now how does that translate into real language?  Patients came to the office with chronic pain. The doctor used appropriate tests to diagnose and treat the pain. Per law, patients have to return for refills. That is called routine medical care in this country.  If the return of a patient for chronic care is criminal, then every medical practice from pediatrics to geriatrics needs to watch out, because they could be next.

The real reason for these “aiding and abetting” charges is to force Dr. Edu to plea, so that the main target, Dr. Bothra, 77, has no choice but to plea and the government rakes in the money that all 6 of the doctors charged have earned by taking care of government-insured patients.

You see, the government falsely identifies supposedly “unnecessary” procedures through evaluations by people that might have a high school education and are paid by the numbers of claims they can claim denial for. Then the government claims back the amount “claimed” on submission, but is nowhere near what the government actually pays.  In the case of this practice, around $800,000 in claims actually received around $200,000 in payment. But to create propaganda, the press release uses the numbers claimed instead of paid. So for example, the claims questioned that were between $96 and $2,400, were actually paid ¼ of that amount.

The government is trying to say that the doctor’s tests and equipment were medically unnecessary and therefore ineligible for reimbursement.  This is becoming the routine charge now against any doctor who takes government insurance.  The $34 billion debt is being offset by confiscating all the payments made to doctors for the last 5 years. So doctors taking care of government insured or BXBS, take note: You are treating these patients for free and you will lose your business through bankruptcy when the government charges and fines you to get their money back.

Doctors are basically sitting ducks. Easy low hanging fruit who don’t even try to defend themselves against ridiculous charges like this.

Let’s look at the fake charges of “unnecessary” procedures Dr. Edu is facing:

So he ordered Physical Therapy for a patient. How does some uneducated claims reviewer determine that the treatment is unnecessary?  That is a medical decision. And unlike the hospital groups in cahoots with the government that send every patient to PT “for the money”, this practice only used that procedure on some patients—probably those that would respond to it. 

The rest of these procedures are for back pain and perfectly legitimate in the context of trying to avoid prescribing opioids.  This is definitely a case of “damned if you do, and damned if you don’t”.

I sure do hope that the doctors of this practice don’t fall for the standard plea, but stand up to this egregious government conduct.  Hire one of the lawyers listed on our Defense Attorneys page, and let’s work together to stop the government riding the backs of innocent physicians. End their game by standing up!!

For more information on the illegal tactics and inappropriate use of the law (18 U.S.C. § 1347)   by the DOJ, see the posts on

• Jahendra Bothra, MD 
• Ronald P. Kufner, MD
• Christopher Russo, MD 
• David Lewis, MD

The real criminals in this case are U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandy R. McMillion, FBI Agent Timothy R. Slater and DHHS agent Lamont Pugh III.

To end these attacks, restore pain management, and provide compensation to all the families that have been destroyed by government overreach, we must get the Controlled Substance Act repealed.  Join Doctorsofcourage to get that done. Learn what we teach and spread the word.  NO DRUG CAUSES ADDICTION!! Let’s end the War on Drugs, Doctors and Pain Patients, end the black market, solve the southern border crisis, and restore proper pain management.  It CAN be done! 

JOIN DoC NOW!!!

Addendum:

Dr. Edu was acquitted in June, 2022. It would appear that he is back at work. 

Addendum from the author:

I have failed in my mission to end these attacks on doctors and pain patients. Through John Bevere’s book The Bait of Satan, I have figured out why—my lack of forgiveness to those who attacked me. As in Mark 11: 24-26:

“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

And when you do not do the will of the Father, you are estranged from him and he will ignore you.  So we all must forgive the agents who attacked us in order for things to be made right through any of our works.

Jesus said

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

But we cannot lay down our lives for God unless we know Him well enough to trust Him. We must have the assurance that He would never do anything to harm us. He always looks out for what He knows is in our best interest. As a nation, those of us suffering from these attacks must understand that we are serving as God’s messengers of love.  We must forgive those who persecute us and love them instead, following God’s will for us. Then and only then will we see fruits from our labor.

So I hope that everyone who has suffered from what happened to the doctor can trust the Lord, forgive those who have hurt you, and help bring this country back to the God-fearing country that our forefathers founded. Then, and only then, can you be a part of the effort to stop these attacks. I look forward to that day.