What’s In a Name? Or, the Importance of Emphasis

I.A. Khair of New Jersey ran an ambulance company called K&S Invalid Coach.  Presumably, “Invalid” was pronounced IN-va-lid, with the emphasis on the first syllable.  Maybe it should have been pronounced in-VAL-id, with the emphasis on the second syllable.  Why?  Because by running the company Khair violated a 2004 order barring him from participating in Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health care programs.  The 2004 order arose from conviction on a New Jersey health care fraud charge.

The enterprising Khair kept on operating his ambulance business, but under his brother’s name instead of his own.  The company did big business—enough to put it in the top 3% of New Jersey ambulance services, ranked by Medicaid collections.

In August 2015 Khair was indicted for health care fraud, obstructing a federal audit, tax evasion, and money laundering.  This August he was convicted of all four offenses.  Law360 reports that Khair was game to the end, trying to influence a government witness just outside the courtroom by claiming that over two dozen employees would testify that his brother really was the owner.

The case is U.S. v. Khair, No. 2:15-cr-00404 (D.N.J.).

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