A West Bloomfield oncologist, Dr. Naveed Aslam, 52, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison today for his role in a multi-million-dollar scheme to illegally sell and divert expensive prescription cancer drugs. U.S. District Judge Brandy R. McMillion imposed the sentence after Dr. Aslam pleaded guilty to the charges.
In addition to the prison time, Judge McMillion ordered Aslam to forfeit more than $2.6 million, representing the profits he gained from his criminal activities.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., alongside key leaders from the investigating agencies, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
According to court records, the illegal scheme operated from 2019 to 2023. Dr. Aslam, a licensed oncologist who practiced at Somerset Hematology and Oncology, P.C., worked with co-conspirators to purchase and sell high-cost cancer medications for profit outside the legitimate supply chain.
The co-conspirators identified customers who were seeking specific, expensive prescription cancer drugs but were unable to obtain them legally. They would then request the drugs from Dr. Aslam, who used his access through his medical practice to order and purchase the drugs from his supplier. Dr. Aslam then illegally sold the medications to his co-conspirators’ company for eventual distribution to the customers.
Dr. Aslam’s practice only permitted him to use these drugs within his medical practice. By law, he was barred from selling or diverting the prescription cancer drugs outside of the FDA’s regulated supply chain, which is critical for ensuring the safety and efficacy of the medications.
The drugs involved—intended to treat serious conditions like metastatic cervical, breast, bladder, and urinary tract cancers—are highly toxic and require special handling. Over the course of the scheme, Dr. Aslam acquired and sold more than $17 million in prescription cancer drugs, personally pocketing over $2.6 million.
While authorities confirmed that there is no evidence of patient harm, they stressed that the scheme placed patients at significant risk.
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