Date: 11-29-2019

Case Style:

Case Number: 4:18-cr-06054-EFS

Judge: Edward F. Shea

Court: United States District Court for the Eastern District Court of Washington (Benton County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Dan Fruchter and Tyler Tornabene

Defendant's Attorney:

Call 918-582-6422 for help finding a crminal defense lawyer in Richland, Washington for representation on a conspiracy to commit wire fraud charge.

Description: Richland, WA - The United States of America charged Sami Anwar with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud, and 45 additional charged crimes including Wire Fraud, Mail Fraud, Obtaining Controlled Substances Through Fraud, and Furnishing False Information to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Anwar, 42, of Richland, WA, was found guilty of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud, and 45 additional charged crimes including Wire Fraud, Mail Fraud, Obtaining Controlled Substances Through Fraud, and Furnishing False Information to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

According to the Superseding Indictment on which Sami Anwar was found guilty of all counts, and the evidence presented during the three-week long trial, between 2013 and 2018 Sami Anwar headed a conspiracy to have his companies fraudulently pose as legitimate human clinical research trial sites and provided mountains of false clinical research trial data regarding drug safety and drug efficacy to dozens of drug companies and, through them, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The false clinical research data that Sami Anwar injected into the public health system included safety data on dozens of different drugs and medicines designed to treat a wide variety of diseases and conditions including, but not limited to, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, pediatric illnesses, adolescent smoking, cirrhosis, scabies, depression, and opioid addiction to name just a few, according the evidence presented at trial. The evidence at trial indicated that Sami Anwar and his companies received over $5.6 million dollars from the fraud.

According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, Sami Anwar, who is not a licensed medical doctor, would pose as a doctor and forge the signatures of the doctors he employed. In addition, over a dozen former employees of Sami Anwar testified that he directly instructed them to assist him in committing the fraud including falsifying medical records and data to admit dozens of ineligible research subjects; falsifying research data including electrocardiograms and vital signs, obtaining blood specimens from Sami Anwar’s employees or stealing them from unwitting medical patients of his medical center, disposing of study medications by shooting them down the drain and then falsely recording them as having been properly injected as required, dangerously hoarding opioids intended to be dispensed to study subjects, and fabricating required subject diary entries.

According to the evidence presented at trial and the Superseding Indictment, Sami Anwar not only directed the fraud but engaged in threats, retaliation, and intimidation in order to hide his crimes from drug companies, the FDA, which regulates human clinical trials in the United States, and law enforcement. At trial numerous former employees of Sami Anwar testified that Anwar filed false police reports, made false allegations to the Washington State Department of Health, the FDA, threatened them at their homes, at their places of work, slashed their tires, and stalked them in order to prevent them from cooperating with the authorities.

United States Attorney Hyslop stated, “Every day, Americans rely on the data from clinical research trials to keep us safe from deadly diseases and dangerous side effects. Injecting fraudulent and corrupt data into the system is an egregious breach of the trust and faith we all place in those who perform these vitally important trials.” Hyslop continued, “Based on the evidence presented at trial, and the jury’s unanimous verdict, Mr. Anwar profited from his blatant disregard for patient safety by running his fraudulent enterprise through fear and intimidation. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who continue to abuse this trust and undermine our health care system are brought to justice.”

Two of Sami Anwar’s companies, Zain Research LLC and Mid Columbia Research LLC, were also convicted of participating in the conspiracy.

After the jury delivered their unanimous verdict Senior Judge Edward F. Shea set sentencing for March 11, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. in Richland, WA. Sami Anwar will remain in custody pending sentencing. The maximum term of incarceration for each count of fraud is 20 years in federal prison.

The case was investigated by DEA Diversion Investigators Craig Tom and Kevin Tripp. Subject matter expertise was provided by the Food and Drug Administration.

Outcome: 11/22/2019 173 NOTICE Re: Slide Deck Used in Closing Argument by USA as to Sami Anwar (1), Mid Columbia Research LLC (2), Zain Research LLC (3) (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit)(Tornabene, Tyler) (Entered: 11/22/2019)
11/22/2019 177 Jury Note as to Sami Anwar (1), Mid Columbia Research LLC (2), and Zain Research LLC (3). (CV, Case Administrator) (Entered: 11/22/2019)
11/22/2019 178 Minute Entry for proceedings held before Senior Judge Edward F. Shea on 11/22/2019. Jury Trial - Day 14 - Defendants Sami Anwar (1) and Mid Columbia Research LLC (2) Guilty on all Counts (Counts 1s - 47s); and Zain Research LLC (3) Guilty on Counts 1s and 2s; Not Guilty on Counts 3s - 47s. (Reported/Recorded by: Kimberly Allen) (Attachments: # 1 Trial Witness List, # 2 Trial Exhibit List, # 3 Acknowledgment re JERS Exhibits, # 4 Receipt for Identifications and Exhibits) (SG, Case Administrator) (Entered: 11/22/2019)
11/22/2019 179 ORDER on Jury Meal as to Sami Anwar (1), Mid Columbia Research LLC (2), and Zain Research LLC (3). Signed by Senior Judge Edward F. Shea. (CV, Case Administrator) (Entered: 11/22/2019)
11/22/2019 180 JURY VERDICT as to Sami Anwar (1) - Guilty on Counts 1s, 2s, 3s-25s, 26s-40s, 41s-46s and 47s. (SG, Case Administrator). (Entered: 11/22/2019)
11/22/2019 186 ORDER REGARDING SCHEDULE FOR SENTENCING as to Sami Anwar (1), Mid Columbia Research LLC (2), and Zain Research LLC (3). Sentencing set for 3/11/2020 at 10:00 AM in Richland Courtroom 326 before Senior Judge Edward F. Shea. Signed by Senior Judge Edward F. Shea. (CV, Case Administrator) (Entered: 11/22/2019)

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