This time, Ali was in U.S. District Court, where a magistrate judge ordered him to appear with an attorney next week. He was released on a $50,000 bond.
"He presented himself to patients as a chiropractor and as a physical therapist," the government alleges in court documents.
Sometimes, the government claims, Ali employed a chiropractor on a limited basis. Ali has no chiropractic license, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State.
His business, which treated about 100 people, according to prosecutors, was called the Oasis Holistic Healing Village and was in an elegant stone building on the 300 block of South 17th Street. The office is closed, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Leahy said.
Ali allegedly used the name and provider number of a licensed chiropractor to file claims with Blue Cross. The indictment says Ali purchased the chiropractic business from a licensed practitioner in 2008, and in 2009 started filing illegal claims.
In court, Ali told U.S. Magistrate Timothy Rice that he was now working in sales.
Ali was charged with 50 counts each of health-care fraud, false statements in health-care matters, and aggravated identity theft.
In the office, he wore scrubs and performed muscle stretching and spinal manipulation, the indictment says. He hired a licensed chiropractor to help him in August 2009, but continued to send bills under the name of the chiropractor who initially owned the practice. He also allegedly billed Blue Cross for services that were not provided.
The illegal billings were discovered by fraud investigators from Blue Cross, spokeswoman Karen Godlewski said. "This was unusual in that he used a fake ID from a credentialed person to submit the claims," she said.
