India, Oct. 23 -- An Indian-origin laboratory owner in the US has been accused of running a $66.2 million ( Rs.628.7 crore) fraud scheme by allegedly billing for 3.8 lakh COVID-19 tests that his lab never conducted, the department of justice said in a statement.

Rajesh "Raj" Patel, 52, from Schaumburg, Illinois, has been charged with five counts of wire fraud. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison on each count.

Between May 2021 and April 2022, Patel, co-owner of a clinical laboratory in Illinois, allegedly created 3.8 lakh fake negative test results for samples linked to Meridian Medical Staffing Inc. He then billed the US Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Uninsured Program for these tests, according to...