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December 26, 2019 – January 1, 2020 NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST 75¢

No. 51 www .associatednewspapers.net

THE BELLEVILLE Local pharmacies tied to drug fraud charges
ENTERPRISE
ENTERPRISE
Vol. 134, No. 51 Five pharmacies in the City ” got suspicious of the pharmacies
of Westland and two located in and requested supporting docu-
Van Buren Township has Canton Township are among 26 Ten individuals are facing mentation or on-site audits, the
filed a lawsuit against implicated in a $46 million crim- multiple felony charges people involved in the scheme
Visteon claiming the compa- inal scheme to submit insurance as a result of the investigation. would either fail to respond to
ny has failed to honor an claims for medications that the requests or refuse to submit
agreement regarding $28 were not prescribed. to an audit, officials said.
million in bonds the town- Ten individuals are facing Abdallah, Mohamad Abou- macy in Lansing was also Wayne County pharmacies
ship issued. multiple felony charges as a Khodr, Daniel Haidar, Nabil involved, officials said. accused of involvement in the
See page 4. result of the investigation which Chehadeh, Ali El-Moussawi, Abdallah, Abou-Khodr, scheme include: Michigan RX
authorities claim began in July Bassem Farhat, Hussein Wazne, Haidar and Chehadah would Pharmacy -- 44237 Michigan Ave.
of 2014. Bahia Zeidan, Linda Fawaz and often hide their ownership in Canton Township; Canton RX
THE CANTON Court records charge that the Suzan Berro. The pharmacies interest in the pharmacies and -- 145 North Haggerty Road in
EAGLE 10 defendants conspired to involved in the charges are would name Zeidan and Fawaz Canton Township; Smart TX
EAGLE

Vol. 72, No. 51 defraud co-pay programs by sub- located in 15 different munici- as nominee owners, according Pharmacy -- 25464 Van Born
mitting claims for fraudulent
to authorities. Farhat would
Road in Dearborn Heights;
palities in Wayne, Oakland and
Visitors to any Canton prescriptions from January 2014 Macomb counties. In addition to help prepare documents need- Clinic RX2, later Med Rite
Township park or Leisure through November of this year. Westland and Canton, facilities ed to open the pharmacies, and Pharmacy -- 23850 Van Born
Services property will have They submitted requests for in Sterling Heights, Clinton as none of those involved is a Road in Dearborn Heights; Pro
to 'butt out' starting with the reimbursements from pharma- Township, Novi, Waterford licensed pharmacist, those Med Pharmacy, later Guardian
New Year as smoking has ceutical manufacturers for med- Township, Taylor, Livonia, involved would pay a licensed Pharmacy -- 29866 Ford Road in
been banned in those areas. ications that were not pre- Dearborn Heights, Lincoln Park, Michigan pharmacist to serve as Garden City; Wellmart
See page 3. scribed by physicians or dis- Garden City, Southgate, the pharmacist in charge of the Pharmacy, later Brite Well RX --
pensed at the involved pharma- Wyandotte, Redford Township new businesses, officials 28542 Ford Road in Garden City;
THE INKSTER cies, according to court records. and New Boston are named in claimed in the court documents.
LEDGER STAR Facing charges are: Hussein the criminal complaint. A phar- When third-party administrators See Fraud, page 3
LEDGER STAR
Vol. 72, No. 51

The first meeting of the Special premiere
mayor's policy working
groups in Inkster is set for 6- Ice Festival to open with
8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15 at
the Dozier Recreation sensory awareness event
Center.
See page 5. The Miracle League of Plymouth and
the Plymouth District Library have joined
THE NORTHVILLE forces to offer a special sensory friendly
EAGLE evening at the Plymouth Ice Festival for
EAGLE
special needs families.
Vol. 19, No. 51 The evening will offer an early look at
the 2020 Ice Festival events from 6-8 p.m.
Todd Mutchler has been Jan 9 at the library. Called “A Sensory
named Northville Township Friendly Plymouth Ice Festival Evening”
Manager effective Dec. 14 the event will feature live ice carving the
and has named Marina entrance to the library, sensory friendly
Neumaier as new assistant entertainment inside the library and inter-
township manager. active sensory ice blocks.
See page 2.
“The event is designed to give special
needs families the opportunity to experi-
THE PLYMOUTH ence one of Plymouth's best weekend dur- set for Jan 10 through 12. The official Friday and Saturday along with the
EAGLE ing the winter season that they otherwise opening ceremony and ribbon cutting will famous Dueling Chainsaws competition
EAGLE
set for 7 p.m. Jan. 11 on the main stage in
may not be able to attend,” said Miracle
take place at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 with
Vol. 19, No. 51 League Executive Director Kelly Plymouth City Commission members, the park.
Hermann. Plymouth Township Supervisor Kurt “This preview evening is a great idea
Plymouth Township During the evening, light snacks will be Heise and State Rep. Jeff Noble on hand and something we're excited about,”
police continue to investi- service and a children's craft will also be to help cut the ice ribbon and begin the Geitzen said.
gate an apparent murder-sui- included. The fire department will be on festivities. There is no cost for the Thursday
cide which occurred Dec. 17 hand demonstrating gear and volunteers Ice Festival Chairman James Gietzen evening at the event which is open to all
and sent shock waves will also be providing short tours of the said that this year there will be an amazing special needs families in the area. The
through the community. main Ice Festival display in Kellogg Park, number of unique ice sculptures this year Plymouth District Library is located at 223
See page 3.
The tour will depend on the weather, and all the crowd-favorite activities will South Main St. in downtown Plymouth.
noted organizers. return, including the Veteran's Party Tent For more information abut the event, con-
THE ROMULUS This year the Plymouth Ice Festival is behind E.G. Nick's restaurant on both tact Hermann at (248) 817-8836.
ROMAN
ROMAN
Vol. 134, No. 51 $776 million upgrade set at Michigan Assembly plant
Romulus Mayor LeRoy
Burcroff is working to The Michigan Assembly plant investment at the Wayne and to renovate and retool for new cial grade hybrid models and
smooth the way for develop- in Wayne will see $766.5 million Dearborn assembly plants. vehicle products, according to a incorporate the self-driving
ment in the city, one of the in renovations and retooling for Ford employs 2,745 workers memo from the Michigan technology needed to turn them
few with large parcels of the production of the resurrect- at Michigan Assembly and 6,203 Economic Development Corp. into autonomous vehicles.”
available land. ed Ford Bronco sport utility at the Dearborn Truck Plant. To qualify for the incentives, The autonomous vehicle pro-
See page 4. vehicle, according to a formal Ford also received 15 years of Ford will have to create 2,700 duction center would be a first-
announcement from the exemptions on the State jobs that pay at least $61,047 of-its-kind facility for Ford and
Michigan Strategic Fund which Essential Services Assessment annually at Michigan Assembly work in conjunction with driver-
THE WAYNE awarded Ford Motor Co. $35.3 for up to $408.5 million of quali- and 300 jobs at the Dearborn less vehicle research and devel-
EAGLE
EAGLE million in new tax incentives fied personal property at the plant, where workers assemble opment at its headquarters in
F-150 pickups.
Michigan Assembly Plant and
Dearborn and its developing
last week.
Vol. 72, No. 51 The automaker plans a com- the Dearborn Truck Plant - the Currently, Michigan mobility campus in Corktown,
The Distinguished Young bined $1.5 billion in capital two plants the automaker plans Assembly workers build the new according to the MEDC.
Women of Wayne-Westland Ranger midsize pickup, with Ford is in the midst of a
and the Wayne County pro- metal-stamped and injection- multi-year $740 million project
gram organizers are now molded parts. Ford is also plan- to build an autonomous and
accepting applications from ning to establish a electric vehicle development
candidates. Ranger/Bronco modification campus in Corktown that would
See page 5. center at Michigan Assembly in be anchored by the 106-year-old
2020 to add extra features to the Michigan Central Station.
trucks and SUVs, according to The potential autonomous
THE WESTLAND industry reports. vehicle facility in Wayne is not
EAGLE
EAGLE “In addition, the company is directly tied to the new tax

Vol. 72, No. 51 considering the City of Wayne as incentives and the Corktown
campus, but MEDC officials
the location of an Autonomous
It took several years but Vehicle (“AV”) production cen- sought to link them together.
the new $16.5 million ter,” Michigan Economic Ford has agreed to give up
Regency of Westland official- Development Corporation $12 million in previously
ly opened last week and (MEDC) officials wrote in a approved incentives for expan-
Mayor William R. Wild has memo to the Michigan Strategic sions at its Romeo Engine and
high hopes for the facility. Fund board members. “This Flat Rock Assembly plants that
See page 5. Michigan Assembly plant in Wayne facility will take new commer- did not happen as planned.

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