Doctor Accused in Loretto Hospital Fraud Case Returns to Chicago to Face Federal Charges

Dr. Sameer Suhail, who owned several medical supply companies, has returned to Chicago from Dubai to face federal charges related to a multi-million dollar fraud scheme involving Loretto Hospital. Suhail appeared in court on Wednesday at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, where U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth Jantz indicated he would be released later in the day on a $5 million bond and placed under home confinement, according to authorities.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Guzman stated that Suhail was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon upon his arrival at O’Hare Airport. Suhail’s attorney, Adam Sheppard, confirmed that his client voluntarily returned to the United States to address the charges and entered a plea of not guilty during the hearing.

Suhail is named alongside three former Loretto Hospital executives—George Miller, Anosh Ahmed, and Heather Bergdahl—in a 45-count federal indictment. Prosecutors allege the group attempted to unlawfully obtain more than $15 million in hospital funds by submitting fraudulent documents that claimed Loretto owed money for goods and services never delivered. Additional allegations state that Suhail, Ahmed, and Miller conspired to direct hospital business to Suhail’s companies.

The charges against Suhail include six counts of wire fraud, six counts of aiding and abetting embezzlement, as well as counts of conspiracy to accept kickbacks and money laundering. Bergdahl, the former chief transformation officer, is expected to plead guilty, while Miller, the hospital’s former chief executive, is scheduled to plead guilty on April 30. Ahmed, who resigned as chief financial officer in 2021, was arrested in Serbia last November but has not yet returned to Chicago.

The alleged misconduct follows an earlier wave of controversies at Loretto Hospital in 2021. The case remains under federal investigation as separate plea proceedings for the defendants continue in court.