Dr. Sam Jahani is already facing a lawsuit over an ex-employee's claims that he fired her last year for her intended whistleblower activities —claims that Jahani denied.
Wednesday, the Drug Enforcement Administration served warrants at Montrose Urgent Care, Grand Junction Urgent Care and Jahani's Delta office. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, agents were seeking medical records kept by Jahani, who specializes in internal medicine, and Dr. Eric Peper of Grand Junction.
  
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Dorschner said no arrests have been made Wednesday. He could not say why the feds were looking at Jahani and Peper's records.
Jahani was not at his home Wednesday afternoon, but law enforcement officials and agents from the Internal Revenue Service were, carrying out additional warrants.
At Montrose Urgent Care, a uniformed Montrose Police officer and local task force agent Jim Fuller stood guard while investigators inside continued to seize paperwork.
Fuller said the Urgent Care was closed and that patients are being referred to other healthcare facilities.
He referred all questions about the seizures to the U.S. Attorney's Office. That office said in a news release that patients of Jahani or Peper who need a copy of their medical records should have a medical practitioner call (720) 895-4269.
Records will be provided only to a medical practitioner and the practitioner will have to provide a HIPPA release when making the request.
While little information has surfaced about the nature of the DEA's investigation, U.S. District Court records show a civil suit brought by Jahani's former office manager in Delta, as well as a past federal prosecution in Texas — since settled — for alleged Medicare fraud.
His former office manager, Tonya Creel of Montrose, sued this year after having been fired last December. She claimed Jahani retaliated against her because she intended to blow the whistle on the way Jahani allegedly "upcoded" Medicare, billing it for a higher level of care than was actually provided.
The suit claims relief under a section of the U.S. Code's False Claims Act.
Jahani denied Creel's claims in subsequent filings.
"The potential False Claims Act violation as to which Creel was acting in furtherance involves the defendants overcharging Medicare for physician services Jahani, or other Urgent Care physicians, provided and the billing of Medicare for patient visits at the hospital and at nursing homes which Jahani did not actually make," Creel's complaint stated.
"The information and belief is Creel's knowledge of the defendants' extensive efforts to keep their wrongful Medicare billing practices secret, as well as the fact that at the time of Creel's termination reasonable efforts had not been made by the defendants to stop their wrongful practices."
The suit also alleges defamation.
Jahani denied Creel's allegations and countersued, claiming Creel did not correctly deposit cash receipts. His counter complaint alleged theft and said Creel failed to state a claim for which the court can grant relief. Creel's claims, the document says, are barred because of her "intentional acts."
"Defendants reasonably investigated all information that was presented by Creel during her employment," the answer stated.
Jahani, along with IHS Hospital of Dallas, was sued in 2003 under the False Claims Act, other U.S. District Court records show.
He settled his case with the U.S. government in 2004.
The settlement included a Corporate Integrity Agreement that required an independent review organization to audit samples of his paid Medicare claims.
Creel's suit alleged records intended for the auditor were altered.
In a Wednesday U.S. District Court filing, Creel and Jahani agreed to a protective order pertaining to confidential information.
nor wrote on Oct 21, 2009 9:09 PM:
nor wrote on Oct 21, 2009 9:05 PM:
aj wrote on Oct 21, 2009 2:52 PM:
Jan wrote on Oct 20, 2009 9:46 PM:
genral public is un-educated wrote on Oct 20, 2009 5:26 PM:
theodore wrote on Oct 20, 2009 1:27 PM:
vernon wrote on Oct 20, 2009 1:17 PM:
contiued wrote on Oct 20, 2009 1:08 PM:
tk wrote on Oct 19, 2009 2:50 PM:
Oh and Vernon, you realize that tylenol is in most pain meds like vicodin, percocet, and norco right? That means the doc has to closely monitor tylenol intake. "
Another medical provider wrote on Oct 19, 2009 2:33 PM:
Another medical provider wrote on Oct 19, 2009 2:27 PM:
Kay Jerry David Honeycutt wrote on Oct 19, 2009 10:48 AM:
Phyllis wrote on Oct 19, 2009 8:50 AM:
Phyllis wrote on Oct 19, 2009 8:12 AM:
I help in billing Medicare and I tell you that what is billed is based ON DOCTORS CHARTING and what forms the doctor fills out, not made up in Tonya's head. "
Phyllis wrote on Oct 19, 2009 8:03 AM:
Chickenman wrote on Oct 19, 2009 8:00 AM:
Chickenman wrote on Oct 19, 2009 7:35 AM:
This dangerous narcotic will do nothing to heal, only temporly mask symptions, and is highly addicting and deadly, kills people everyday.
Dr J would never even consider mmj., makes one wonder what Jesus would do, we have mmj., created by God, been around for thousands of years, works to relieve pain safely, or a narcotic that addicts and kills and he profits from its use, is that Christlike?
POCM "
concerned wrote on Oct 18, 2009 7:50 PM:
traviswolford wrote on Oct 18, 2009 5:23 PM:
cbaker wrote on Oct 18, 2009 3:27 PM:
Many, many people are not fooled and do not believe all they read in the newspaper. We will never turn our backs on him and his wonderful family. "
unknown wrote on Oct 17, 2009 11:02 PM:
Valerie Rolfson RN wrote on Oct 17, 2009 10:03 PM:
Felicia wrote on Oct 17, 2009 9:46 PM:
Get over it wrote on Oct 17, 2009 5:12 PM:
person-with-opinion wrote on Oct 17, 2009 5:04 PM:
mary wrote on Oct 17, 2009 12:43 PM:
vern wrote on Oct 17, 2009 12:30 PM:
vernon wrote on Oct 17, 2009 12:20 PM:
Chickenman wrote on Oct 17, 2009 10:20 AM:
.....POCM "
Just Ice wrote on Oct 17, 2009 9:14 AM:
fred wrote on Oct 17, 2009 7:37 AM:
vern wrote on Oct 17, 2009 2:46 AM:
vern wrote on Oct 17, 2009 2:38 AM:
vernon s.47 years old wrote on Oct 17, 2009 2:28 AM:
maryw wrote on Oct 17, 2009 2:17 AM:
medications such as tylenol or acetametaphine, can lead to intestianl bleeding and causes 35 times more deaths than oxycontin, and it is less effective for pain. 35 times more people!
you don't realize that do you? the amount of deaths after a dea raid like this climbs considerably, due to the fact the pain patients can no longer get relief from the relentless agony they are now forced to withstand. most would rather take their own lives than live that way any longer. cont. "
Irritated Continued wrote on Oct 16, 2009 11:55 PM:
Irritated wrote on Oct 16, 2009 11:48 PM:
wrote on Oct 16, 2009 9:19 PM:
VG wrote on Oct 16, 2009 9:01 PM:
kate wrote on Oct 16, 2009 8:50 PM:
veronica wrote on Oct 16, 2009 5:55 PM:
Alley wrote on Oct 16, 2009 5:55 PM:
Alley wrote on Oct 16, 2009 5:37 PM:
mary wrote on Oct 16, 2009 5:35 PM:
Alley wrote on Oct 16, 2009 5:32 PM:
Someone from the inside wrote on Oct 16, 2009 2:53 PM:
person-with-opinion wrote on Oct 16, 2009 2:39 PM:
ex resident wrote on Oct 16, 2009 12:28 PM:
Louise Poppleton wrote on Oct 16, 2009 12:19 PM:
pfmontrose wrote on Oct 16, 2009 11:34 AM:
Get a clue wrote on Oct 16, 2009 11:04 AM:
Ron P wrote on Oct 16, 2009 10:12 AM:
wake up wrote on Oct 16, 2009 9:26 AM:
Friends wrote on Oct 16, 2009 8:19 AM:
Robin Kearns wrote on Oct 16, 2009 8:07 AM:
Tammie wrote on Oct 16, 2009 7:44 AM:
Alley wrote on Oct 15, 2009 7:20 PM:
A setup wrote on Oct 15, 2009 5:02 PM:
Not picture perfect wrote on Oct 15, 2009 4:42 PM:
An Insider Who Seen it 1st Hand wrote on Oct 15, 2009 4:30 PM:
Revere wrote on Oct 15, 2009 3:17 PM:
Dr. Jahani will get up from this and keep giving, because he is a good man. "
Margie wrote on Oct 15, 2009 1:35 PM:
I will only say good things about Dr'Jahani after all he has helped me over the last 8 years. He also saved my live when I meningitis in my back, he had me air lived to Denver.God bless you "
continued wrote on Oct 15, 2009 1:11 PM:
nicole wrote on Oct 15, 2009 12:57 PM:
the bishops wrote on Oct 15, 2009 12:47 PM:
Kim wrote on Oct 15, 2009 5:10 AM: