William J. Edwards, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, C. Frank Figliuzzi, Special Agent-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Lamont Pugh, III, Special Agent-in-Charge, United States Department of Health and Human Services - Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Nancy H. Rogers, Attorney General, Ohio Attorney General’s Office announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging two individuals, a doctor and his wife, with obstruction of justice violations.

Specifically, Hany M. Iskander, aka Hany M. Iskander Ibrahim, age 47, and Evat Hanna, age 42, both of Powell, Ohio, were charged in the two-count indictment. Count 1 of the indictment charges Iskander and Hanna with knowingly altering, destroying, mutilating, concealing, or covering up one or more record, document, or tangible object with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence the investigation or proper administration of a matter within the jurisdiction of a department or agency of the United States, specifically, an ongoing criminal investigation being conducted by the FBI and HHS-OIG, in conjunction with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and others, into the fraudulent billing practices of Iskander and his affiliated business, American Pain and Anesthesia, LLC, and other potential federal criminal violations.

Count 2 of the indictment charges Iskander and Hanna with willfully preventing, obstructing, misleading, delaying or attempting to prevent, obstruct, mislead or delay the communication of information or records relating to a federal health care fraud offense to a criminal investigator.

Iskander, an anesthesiologist, had medical office locations in Bucyrus, Ohio; Lewis Center, Ohio; Tiffin, Ohio; and Mansfield, Ohio, between 2003 and 2008.

The investigative agencies and departments participating in this investigation are as follows: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); United States Department of Health and Human Services - Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Ohio Attorney General Office - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit; and Bucyrus Police Department, Kenneth Teets, Chief.

If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal record, if any, the defendants’ role in the offenses and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

The indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Lutzko.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.