Case Study

Backstory:

Dr. Kareem Faez distinguished himself as a highly respected psychiatrist. Over more than three decades, he led several hospitals and mental health institutions. At one point, he accepted a titular position for a mental-health clinic. It was that position that brought Dr. Faez problems.

Dr. Faez did not have any oversight of billing practices. Yet his superiors in the organization deceived him. Rather than operating an honorable practice, they created a scheme to bill Medicare for unnecessary services. As a result, authorities indicted several physicians—including Dr. Faez. An indictment charged him with several counts of healthcare fraud.

Dr. Faez hired a former Assistant U.S. Attorney to represent him. When Dr. Faez hold his attorney that he had been doing his own research, and that he wanted to hire our firm, the defense attorney objected. As a former AUSA, the attorney said, he knew and understood everything about the system. He did not want to work with anyone else.

Case Study:

Despite his attorney’s admonition, Dr. Faez chose to work with our team of sentence-mitigation experts. He wanted to learn everything possible. We presented Dr. Faez with different options and scenarios he could consider. Those scenarios included a collaboration with our team. Together, we crafted a story that would accomplish the following objectives: 

• Express remorse for the ways in which he contributed to the crime, even if he did so unknowingly.
• Show the influences that led him into a predicament that allowed the crime to continue.
• Show ways in which this crime was an aberration rather than an example of his character.
• Help the judge sees the many ways that Dr. Faez contributed to his community.
• Work closely with Dr. Faez’s colleagues to create a body of work that would show their perceptions of Dr. Faez.

Analysis:

Dr. Faez chose to exercise his discretion and personal leadership. Although his attorney objected to his receiving guidance from anyone else, Dr. Faez understood that he was in a vulnerable stage of his life. The amount of loss involved in the case exposed him to the potential of several years in prison. He wanted someone to guide him, and he chose to work with our team. 

By working on a deliberate course of action, Dr. Faez restored his confidence. As we worked together to document his distinguished life, he began to feel hopeful. When he presented the body of work to his cynical attorney, the attorney told Dr. Faez that it was the best package he’d ever received. Dr. Faez never revealed to his attorney that he had been working closely with our team.

Outcome:

As the accompanying text message shows, the judge surprised Dr. Faez with a term of probation. He did not serve a single day in prison. The judge commended Dr. Faez, telling him that the personal documentation he submitted helped the judge see a different side—a side that only Dr. Faez could present.