CHICAGO (WLS) -- A former Loretto Hospital executive accused of helping orchestrate a large-scale COVID testing fraud scheme pleaded not guilty Monday in federal court in Chicago.
Anosh Ahmed appeared before U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman on charges including money laundering, wire fraud, and kickback conspiracy. Prosecutors allege the scheme submitted nearly $900 million in fraudulent claims to the federal government.
Ahmed, a former chief financial officer of Loretto Hospital, appeared in court wearing an orange jumpsuit. At the start of the arraignment hearing, Coleman told him, "Glad to see you here in the flesh with your lawyers."
After spending several years overseas, Ahmed was arrested in Serbia in January and challenged extradition before recently agreeing to be returned to the United States. He faces charges in two separate federal criminal cases tied to Loretto Hospital and entered not guilty pleas in both cases.
Ahmed's attorney, Dan Webb, said the case could take one of two paths: a change of plea or a renewed effort to seek a hearing into alleged prosecutorial misconduct.
Gil Soffer, ABC7's chief legal analyst, said discussions about resolving the case are likely underway.
"It's almost certainly the case that there are discussions going on about a resolution here. I don't think we would have seen the defendant waive extradition if not," Soffer said.
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