Crime & Safety
Schaumburg, IL Thursday: Man Charged in $66.2M COVID Fraud
Chicago, IL – A suburban Chicago laboratory executive faces federal charges in an alleged $66.2 million COVID 19 testing fraud scheme involving at least 380,000 fabricated test results, with prosecuto
By Miles Carter · 2026-10-23T01:28:39.100Z
Chicago, IL – A suburban Chicago laboratory executive faces federal charges in an alleged $66.2 million COVID 19 testing fraud scheme involving at least 380,000 fabricated test results, with prosecutors claiming he personally collected approximately $28 million.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Illinois indicted Rajesh “Raj” Patel, 52, of Schaumburg, on five counts of wire fraud. The indictment was announced Tuesday, October 20, and the FBI Chicago office has also publicized the allegations.
380,000 COVID 19 Tests Allegedly Fabricated
Federal prosecutors allege Patel was the co owner and chief operating officer of a clinical laboratory in Hillside, a western Chicago suburb in Cook County.
Between May 2021 and April 2022, Patel allegedly created fake negative results for at least 380,000 PCR tests that the laboratory never performed.
Investigators say the laboratory worked with Meridian Medical Staffing Inc., which supplied patient information and purported testing specimens.
According to court documents, many of those patients allegedly never existed or never provided specimens.
The fabricated results were allegedly used to bill the federal Health Resources and Services Administration's uninsured COVID 19 testing program.
$44.1 Million Paid, $28 Million Allegedly Collected
Federal authorities allege the laboratory submitted approximately $66.2 million in fraudulent claims, receiving roughly $44.1 million in payments.
Prosecutors claim Patel personally obtained approximately $28 million from the alleged scheme.
The investigation involved the FBI Chicago Field Office and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
Patel faces five wire fraud counts, each carrying a maximum potential prison sentence of 20 years if convicted.
The charges are allegations, and Patel is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case remains under federal prosecution.