Federal agents from the FBI and the Office of the Inspector General spent much of Thursday removing documents from the offices of a prominent Beaumont doctor and Harbor Healthcare System locations in Beaumont, Houston and Southwest Louisiana.
The U.S. Attorney’s office and the FBI office in Beaumont remained tight lipped on the operation.
A spokesperson with the U.S. Attorney’s Office would only say that “there is federal activity going on, It’s an ongoing investigation so I can make no further comment.”
An FBI spokesperson echoed that statement saying that the FBI is "conducting lawful activity in that area today" but would not mention the specific locations and then referred any more question to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Agents spent much of the day at the offices of Dr. Qamar Arfeen, 52, and Harbor Healthcare which he founded in 2005.
The Office of the Inspector General is tasked with fighting fraud, waste and abuse of Health and Human Services programs such as Medicare and Medicaid which a majority of its resources go to according to the OIG website.
Agents began raiding the offices of Dr. Arfeen as well as Harbor Healthcare System at 3406 College in Beaumont, Harbor Hospice House at 2450 Major Drive in Beaumont as well as a Harbor Healthcare location on Kirby Drive in Houston and a location Lake Charles, La.
Harbor healthcare has locations in Texas, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri and Kanas.
Dr. Arfeen, who is listed as the company’s CEO and founder, is now represented by the Crenshaw Law Firm which released a statement late Thursday saying in part "earlier today, government personnel appeared at several of our facilities and obtained various records, while making it clear they were not there to interrupt our care of patients.”
“We fully cooperated… Our employees will remain dedicated to providing the highest quality care and comfort to our terminally ill patients and their family members.”
“We are optimistic this matter will be resolved quickly"
By the end of the day agents were still working at Harbor Hospice House on Major Drive in Beaumont where they were removing documents from three storage sheds behind the main building much of the day.
Several of the boxes being removed were labeled “Medicare audit.”
Eventually a hand-written paper sign was taped to the front door of the offices on College Street in Beaumont saying that the offices were closed.
The College Street location is listed on the Harbor Healthcare website as being the company’s corporate headquarters.
Dr. Arfeen owns about 20 properties throughout Southeast Texas and dozens of others throughout Texas, Louisiana and surrounding states.
Among Dr. Arfeen's other business ventures totaling more than $20 million is The Grill, a high-end restaurant and bar in west Beaumont, which he is part owner of.
The Grill is open for its normal business hours according to the restaurant.
Dr. Afeen is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area including Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital, Memorial Hermann Baptist Hospital and Healthsouth Rehabilitation.
According to U.S News he is one of four doctors at Christus St. Elizabeth and one of six at Baptist Hospital specializing in pulmonary disease.
Arfeen got his medical degree at Dow University of Health Science in Pakistan.
The Texas Medical Foundation reports the doctor got his license to practice in Texas in 1995.