Anosh Ahmed Indictment: Former Loretto CFO Held in Chicago After Return to U.S.

Former Loretto Hospital executive returns as prosecutors pursue replacement indictment

CHICAGO — Former Loretto Hospital chief financial officer Anosh Ahmed has returned to the United States and is being held at Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Center after a new federal grand jury indictment accused him of a COVID-19 testing fraud scheme that allegedly cost the government about $200 million.

Ahmed, 42, was expected to appear in federal court Friday, though his arraignment on the latest indictment is scheduled for Monday morning. Jail records show he is being held at the downtown Chicago federal detention facility.

The new indictment was returned Thursday as federal prosecutors seek to preserve a case that has been complicated by allegations of misconduct before a grand jury. The indictment replaces an earlier set of charges linked to the alleged COVID-19 testing scheme, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Ahmed has separately been under federal indictment in Chicago since 2024. In that case, prosecutors accused him and others of embezzling more than $15 million from Loretto Hospital, the safety-net hospital on Chicago’s West Side. Those charges remain pending, and Ahmed has not been convicted in either case.

Case intersects with prosecutor misconduct controversy

The Anosh Ahmed indictment arrives amid a wider controversy involving Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Mecklenburg, who handled the cases against Ahmed and several co-defendants. Mecklenburg was accused of improper conduct before a grand jury in the separate prosecution of the so-called “Broadview Six,” protesters charged in connection with Operation Midway Blitz.

U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros’ office ultimately dismissed the Broadview Six case after a judge raised concerns about Mecklenburg’s conduct. Similar allegations were subsequently made in the prosecution involving Ahmed and his co-defendants, though no hearing has yet been held on those claims.

U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, who is overseeing the 2025 case against Ahmed, said in June that a hearing into the matter remained possible. Such a proceeding could place Boutros and Mecklenburg under scrutiny over the government’s grand-jury practices.

Federal prosecutors previously dropped charges permanently against two of Ahmed’s co-defendants, avoiding a planned hearing. The government has since pursued agreements with four remaining co-defendants. Ahmed’s lawyers may now seek similar relief, although no motion to dismiss has been filed.

Investigation began with scrutiny of vaccine distribution

Federal scrutiny involving Ahmed and Loretto dates to 2021, when reporting by Block Club Chicago found that COVID-19 vaccines were distributed to employees at Trump Tower while doses were still scarce. Ahmed owned a condominium in the building, according to the reporting.

Prosecutors have said Ahmed left Chicago for France and Dubai in August 2023 after learning of the investigation. He was taken into custody in Serbia last November. His attorneys have disputed that he was a fugitive, saying family health issues delayed his return to the United States.

Former U.S. Attorney Dan Webb and attorneys from Winston Taylor LLP have recently entered appearances for Ahmed. Prosecutors are expected to argue that the newly obtained indictment cures any potential defect in the earlier grand-jury proceedings, while Ahmed’s defense team could challenge whether the alleged misconduct warrants dismissal. The cases remain pending, and Ahmed’s arraignment on the new indictment is set for Monday.