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23 people, 16 companies linked to pair of massive Metro Detroit health care bribery, fraud schemes

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23 people, 16 companies linked to pair of massive Metro Detroit health care bribery, fraud schemes


SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – A complete of 23 residents and 16 firms from Michigan have been linked to a pair of intertwined well being care bribery and fraud schemes centered in Wayne and Oakland counties.

Officers stated as a part of the schemes, Medicare beneficiaries have been referred to sure firms by kickbacks and bribes. False and fraudulent Medicare claims have been then submitted based mostly on purported providers offered to these beneficiaries, court docket information present.

In actuality, the providers outlined in these reimbursement claims have been medically pointless, didn’t qualify for reimbursement, and/or weren’t offered, in keeping with authorities.

The cash made within the multimillion-dollar schemes was for the private use and good thing about these concerned, federal officers stated.

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“The alleged actions of those defendants is an astonishing abuse of our well being care system,” United States Lawyer Daybreak N. Ison stated. “By allegedly submitting fraudulent claims and paying unlawful kickbacks, these defendants looted Medicare with the intention to line their very own pockets at nice value to taxpayers.”

13 individuals named in indictment

Of the 23 individuals charged, 13 residents from Oakland, Wayne, and Livingston counties have been named in two indictments, which have been each filed Feb. 1.

Walid Jamil, 62, and Jalal Jamil, 69, each of Oakland County, owned and operated a number of dwelling well being businesses in Metro Detroit, court docket paperwork allege.

Officers stated the Jamil dwelling well being businesses included Premier Residence and Well being Care, Nice Lake Residence Care, Divined Residence Well being Care, Reflex Residence Care, Neighborhood First Homecare, Trillium Residence Care Options, and Legend Residence Care.

Carol Ibrahim, 45, of Oakland County, and Delaine Jackson, 48, of Wayne County, have been employed by and operated not less than one of many Jamil dwelling well being businesses, authorities stated.

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Ibrahim Sammour, 62, of Wayne County, was a registered nurse employed by the Jamil dwelling well being businesses.

Mary Smelter-Bolton, 69, of Oakland County, and Cass Hawkins, 52, of Wayne County, are accused of being recruiters paid by varied Jamil dwelling well being businesses to refer Medicare beneficiaries.

Radwan Malas, 43, of Oakland County, was the proprietor, controller, and operator of Infinity Visiting Doctor Companies in Southfield, in keeping with the indictment. He additionally owned and operated Pegasus Administration Associates in West Bloomfield, in keeping with officers.

Alejandro Q. Mataverde, 79, of Wayne County, was a doctor licensed in Michigan and enrolled as a taking part supplier with Medicare for Infinity beginning in February 2016, court docket information present.

Cornelius Oprisiu, 82, of Livingston County, was a doctor licensed in Michigan and enrolled as a taking part supplier with Medicare for Infinity beginning in April 2017, authorities stated.

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Michael Molloy, 50, of Wayne County, was a minority proprietor of Integra Lab Administration in Florida and carried out advertising providers on its behalf, in keeping with officers.

Shafiq Ur Rehman, 59, of Wayne County, was a doctor’s assistant licensed in Michigan and enrolled as a taking part supplier with Medicare for Infinity from Might 2016 by Might 2019, the indictment says.

Montaha Hogeige, 39, of Wayne County, was a medical assistant engaged on behalf of Infinity from early 2016 to 2020, in keeping with court docket information.

Federal officers stated 10 different Michigan residents have been charged by prison data for his or her alleged participation within the fraud schemes.

One indictment additionally references two Oakland County residents as “Particular person 1″ and “Particular person 2.”

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“Particular person 1″ managed, owned, and operated seven dwelling well being businesses in Michigan, whereas “Particular person 2″ managed, owned, and operated a type of businesses alongside “Particular person 1.”

Overview of Jamil well being businesses scheme

Officers stated Walid and Jalal Jamil hid their possession of a number of dwelling well being businesses round Metro Detroit through the use of “straw house owners” — usually relations or different associates.

In the course of the scheme, they submitted about $50 million price of fraudulent dwelling well being care claims to Medicare, in keeping with federal authorities.

They’d bribe others to recruit sufferers who didn’t want dwelling well being care and didn’t qualify for it underneath Medicare guidelines, court docket information present. In lots of situations, these sufferers weren’t even offered the care outlined within the Medicare claims, officers stated.

“Walid and Jalal Jamil allegedly entered into quid professional quo relationships with doctor clinics to obtain the required data to fraudulently invoice Medicare,” a federal launch says. “Based mostly on their fraudulent claims, Walid and Jalal Jamil obtained greater than $43 million from Medicare, which they misappropriated for his or her private profit.”

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Ibrahim and Jackson each made unlawful funds to affected person recruiters and submitted false claims to Medicare, in keeping with authorities.

Ibrahim was additionally a straw proprietor of one of many Jamil dwelling well being businesses, officers stated.

Sammour fraudulently billed Medicare for dwelling well being providers that he by no means truly offered, court docket information present. He would then falsely certify sufferers as “homebound,” authorities stated.

Smelter-Bolton and Hawkins are accused of being recruiters for the Jamil dwelling well being businesses, referring Medicare beneficiaries for providers that have been then billed to Medicare. These claims weren’t eligible for reimbursements, court docket paperwork say.

Straw house owners for Jamil dwelling well being businesses

Walid and Jalal Jamil are accused of utilizing their straw house owners to regulate the well being businesses whereas failing to disclose that they have been the precise house owners of the businesses.

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Their possession of the businesses was hidden by misrepresentations and omissions in company filings with the state of Michigan and in enrollment functions and claims submitted to Medicare, an indictment says.

Walid Jamil, Jalal Jamil, Ibrahim, Jackson, and others bribed recruits with checks, money, and digital transfers in trade for the referrals of Medicare beneficiaries to the well being businesses, in keeping with authorities.

Officers stated the exchanges additionally included Medicare beneficiary data that helped these concerned within the scheme assist false claims to Medicare.

Bribing ‘Firm 1′

Court docket paperwork say Walid Jamil, Jalal Jamil, Ibrahim, and “Firm Proprietor 1″ devised a plan to ship beneficiaries to “Firm 1.” There, the beneficiaries can be licensed for dwelling well being care by medical suppliers who labored for the corporate.

Then, these beneficiaries can be referred again to the Jamil dwelling well being businesses, in keeping with the indictment.

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In flip, the Jamil dwelling well being businesses would invoice Medicare for providers it claimed to have offered for these beneficiaries, authorities stated.

Walid Jamil, Jalal Jamil, Ibrahim, Jackson, and Sammour are accused of falsifying, fabricating, and altering medical information, equivalent to dwelling well being certifications, plans of care, nursing go to notes, evaluations, re-certifications, and discharges.

Fraudulent Medicare claims

Walid Jamil, Jalal Jamil, Ibrahim, and Jackson have been linked within the indictment to particular false Medicare claims.

Walid Jamil and Jackson are accused of billing Medicare $1,001,01 on July 1, 2020, and $2,500.01 on Sept. 11, 2018.

Walid Jamil is accused of billing Medicare $4,250.01 on Nov. 16, 2019.

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Walid Jamil and Ibrahim are accused of billing Medicare $3,050.01 on Aug. 31, 2020, and $2,200.01 on Sept. 29, 2020.

Jalal Jamil is accused of billing Medicare $3,500.01 on July 23, 2019.

Bribing affected person recruiters

Walid Jamil, Ibrahim, Jackson, and others are accused of paying kickbacks and bribes to “affected person recruiters” who would refer Medicare beneficiaries to the Jamil dwelling well being businesses.

Smelter-Bolton and Hawkins have been amongst these affected person recruiters who obtained bribes, in keeping with authorities.

Walid Jamil advised Jackson, Ibrahim, and others to pay bribes to Hawkins on Nov. 24, 2017, and June 8, 2020, court docket information say. Hawkins gave them Medicare beneficiary data in return, and that data was used to invoice Medicare for providers, in keeping with the indictment.

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Particularly, a $3,600 declare was made Feb. 22, 2019, for providers purportedly offered by Nice Lake, Divined, and Trillium, court docket paperwork declare.

Walid Jamil advised others to pay bribes to Smelter-Bolton on Might 16, 2016, and April 9, 2019, for Medicare beneficiary data, officers stated.

That data was used to invoice Medicare $500 on April 5, 2019, for providers purportedly offered by Reflex and Neighborhood First, in keeping with authorities.

Overview of scheme involving Malas, 5 others

Malas operated Infinity Visiting Doctor Companies as a house visiting doctor firm and ordered his physicians to certify sufferers referred by the Jamils for medically pointless dwelling well being providers, in keeping with court docket paperwork.

Malas is accused of billing Medicare for providers that have been by no means truly offered to sufferers — together with 60-minute advanced affected person visits — and different providers that weren’t medically crucial — together with B-12 and Toradol injections.

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“Malas additionally allegedly demanded that physicians in his workplace order the highest-reimbursing urine drug check for sufferers, which was medically pointless, however for which Malas allegedly obtained a referral payment from the laboratory that processed the samples,” a federal launch says.

As a part of this scheme, Medicare was billed greater than $11.5 million by fraudulent claims, court docket information present. Practically $4 million price of claims was paid, and that cash was misappropriated for the private good thing about these concerned within the scheme, authorities stated.

Mataverde, Oprisiu, and Rehman are accused of offering medically pointless providers to Medicare beneficiaries and submitting claims for providers that weren’t offered to sufferers.

Molloy’s lab in Florida processed the high-reimbursing and medically pointless urine assessments submitted by Infinity, in keeping with federal officers. He and his co-owners paid the salaries of Infinity staff and made month-to-month funds to Malas in trade for the orders, court docket information present.

Integra submitted about $2.8 million price of fraudulent claims to Medicare on account of the scheme, and bought paid greater than $730,000, in keeping with the indictment.

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Misrepresenting Infinity possession

Officers stated Malas and others included Infinity in January 2014. The subsequent month, they licensed to Medicare that the corporate would adjust to all guidelines and rules, which incorporates agreeing to not violate the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute.

After Infinity was included, Malas and others disguised his possession of the corporate by misrepresentations and omissions in company filings with the state of Michigan and in enrollment functions and claims submitted to Medicare, the indictment says.

From January 2014 by October 2018, Malas lied to Medicare, saying different physicians have been the only house owners of Infinity, authorities stated. In actuality, Malas held unique possession curiosity and possession over the corporate throughout that time frame, court docket information present.

Urine check kickbacks

Malas, Mataverde, Oprisiu, Rehman, and others are accused of submitting false claims for medically pointless providers that they claimed had been offered by Infinity.

Malas and Malloy helped devise a scheme to pay Malas unlawful kickbacks in trade for referring orders signed by Infinity suppliers for medically pointless urine drug assessments, in keeping with authorities. Mataverde and Oprisiu are among the many suppliers concerned, the indictment says.

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The referrals can be despatched to Integra, which might then invoice Medicare for performing these pointless providers, officers stated.

Residence well being businesses

“Particular person 1″ and “Particular person 2″ would ship Medicare beneficiaries who didn’t qualify for reimbursement of dwelling well being providers to Infinity to be licensed for dwelling well being care, in keeping with the indictment.

Court docket information present these beneficiaries had been obtained by unlawful kickbacks and bribes.

Officers stated Mataverde, Oprisiu, and others would certify these beneficiaries so the house well being businesses may invoice Medicare for providers.

This was completed for seven businesses, that are referred to solely as “Residence Well being Company 1-7″ within the indictment. All seven have been in Michigan.

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The indictment says Malas, Mataverde, Oprisiu, Molloy, Rehman, “Particular person 1,” “Particular person 2,” and others brought about about $37 million price of fraudulent claims to Medicare.

Well being care fraud expenses

Malas, Mataverde, Oprisiu, and Rehman are every dealing with well being care fraud expenses linked to a few particular situations in 2018, 2019, and 2020, in keeping with the indictment.

Malas is known as in all three counts, whereas Mataverde, Oprisiu, and Rehman are every dealing with one rely.

A $375 declare was made to Medicare by Malas and Rehman on Feb. 14, 2018, for a “60-minute established affected person go to,” court docket information present.

A $100 declare was made to Medicare by Malas and Mataverde on Oct. 2, 2019, for the “certification of Medicare coated dwelling well being care,” the indictment says.

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A $100 declare was made to Medicare by Malas and Oprisiu on April 23, 2020, for the “certification of Medicare coated dwelling well being care,” in keeping with authorities.

Defrauding US for kickbacks

Malas, Molloy, and Hogeige are accused of making a scheme to pay and/or obtain unlawful kickbacks and bribes in trade for the referral of urine samples and doctor orders for urine drug testing to Integra so the corporate may invoice Medicare.

They agreed to “facilitate and conceal the fee of kickbacks and bribes from Integra to Infinity, within the type of Integra’s fee of salaries of Infinity staff, together with Hogeige, in trade for urine samples and doctor orders from Infinity to be despatched to Integra for the aim of submitting claims to Medicare,” the indictment reads.

Molloy and others paid Hogeige’s wage as if she was employed by Integra, however in actuality, she was employed by Infinity, in keeping with authorities.

“Hogeige agreed with Malas, Molloy, and others to obtain wage funds from Integra for work carried out completely on behalf of Infinity,” the indictment says.

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Malas and Molloy hid the kickbacks and bribes from Integra to Malas by routing funds by Pegasus, court docket information present.

From June 2017 by March 2019, the urine drug testing scheme between Integra and Infinity led to the previous being paid about $686,000 by Medicare.

The indictment reveals Hogeige accepted $1,200 funds from Molloy, on behalf of Integra, 21 instances between June 16, 2017, and April 6, 2018.

Malas accepted $10,800 funds from Molloy, on behalf of Integra, in trade for urine samples and doctor orders for definitive urine drug testing. Malas accepted 12 of these funds between March 30, 2018, and March 13, 2019, officers stated.

March 2019 bribe expenses

Molloy is charged with one rely of fee of kickbacks in reference to a federal well being care program for a bribe he paid to Malas, in keeping with the indictment.

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Officers stated the fee in query occurred March 13, 2019. Molloy gave Malas a $10,800 test from Integra to Pegasus.

The indictment says Malas was being paid to refer somebody to Integra for a service that would set off a reimbursement request to Medicare.

Malas is dealing with one rely of receipt of kickbacks in reference to a federal well being care program for accepting that bribe, authorities stated.

Cash laundering

Malas can be accused of cash laundering when he made a $200,000 switch from an Infinity checking account to a Pegasus checking account on Sept. 9, 2020.

The indictment says the transaction included cash that was obtained “from a specified illegal exercise” — particularly well being care fraud and conspiracy to commit well being care fraud.

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Walid Jamil is dealing with one rely of well being care fraud conspiracy, 5 counts of well being care fraud, one rely of conspiracy to defraud america and to pay and obtain well being care kickbacks, and two counts of fee of kickbacks in reference to a federal well being care program.

Jalal Jamil is dealing with one rely of well being care fraud conspiracy and one rely of well being care fraud.

Ibrahim and Jackson are each dealing with one rely of well being care fraud conspiracy, two counts of well being care fraud, one rely of conspiracy to defraud america and to pay and obtain well being care kickbacks, and one rely of fee of kickbacks in reference to a federal well being care program.

Sammour is dealing with one rely of well being care fraud conspiracy.

Hawkins and Smellter-Bolton are each dealing with one rely of conspiracy to defraud america and to pay and obtain well being care kickbacks and one rely of receipt of kickbacks in reference to a federal well being care program.

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Malas is dealing with one rely of well being care fraud conspiracy, three counts of well being care fraud, one rely of conspiracy to defraud america and to pay and receiving well being care kickbacks, one rely of receipt of kickbacks in reference to a federal well being care program, and one rely of cash laundering.

Mataverde, Oprisiu, and Rehman are every dealing with one rely of well being care fraud conspiracy and one rely of well being care fraud.

Molloy is dealing with one rely of well being care fraud conspiracy, one rely of conspiracy to defraud america and to pay and obtain well being care kickbacks, and one rely of fee of kickbacks in reference to a federal well being care program.

Hogeige is dealing with one rely of conspiracy to defraud america and to pay and obtain well being care kickbacks.

If convicted, they have to all forfeit any cash or property that may be traced again to the scheme.

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Most sentences for every cost

Listed below are the utmost sentences for every of the costs above.

  • Conspiracy to commit well being care fraud — 10 years

  • Well being care fraud — 10 years

  • Fee/receipt of unlawful healthcare kickbacks — 10 years

  • Cash laundering — 10 years

  • Conspiracy to defraud america by the fee/receipt of unlawful well being care kickbacks — 5 years

Firms referenced in indictments

Listed below are all the firms referenced within the two indictments:

Jamil dwelling well being businesses (all in Michigan):

  • Premier Residence and Well being Care, Inc.

  • Nice Lake Residence Care, LLC

  • Divined Residence Well being Care, Inc.

  • Reflex Residence Care, LLC

  • Neighborhood First Homecare, LLC

  • Trillium Homem Care Options, LLC

  • Legend Residence Care, Inc.

Companies owned and operated by Radwan Malas:

  • Infinity Visiting Doctor Companies, PLLC — Southfield

  • Pegasus Administration Associates, LLC — West Bloomfield

Unnamed dwelling well being businesses (all in Michigan):

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  • “Residence Well being Company 1″

  • “Residence Well being Company 2″

  • “Residence Well being Company 3″

  • “Residence Well being Company 4″

  • “Residence Well being Company 5″

  • “Residence Well being Company 6″

  • “Residence Well being Company 7″

Enterprise co-owned by Michael Malloy:

  • Integra Lab Administration LLC — a Florida firm doing enterprise in Michigan

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Detroit, MI

How a Detroit Lions fan’s life was saved and then lost — and the real message behind it

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How a Detroit Lions fan’s life was saved and then lost — and the real message behind it


Jeremy Schmidt was given a gift on Sunday: four or five extra hours with his father, Wally Schmidt — a big-hearted man who loved to fish and work on cars and go to car shows and was “my rock, my last pillar.”

Wally, 65, collapsed on the field in Soldier Field on Sunday morning before the Detroit Lions played the Chicago Bears.

“I saw his eyes roll back,” Jeremy said, “and immediately, I’m yelling for help.”

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Ben Roth, an off-duty paramedic from Texas, rushed to help, assessing the symptoms.

“That man gave me four or five more hours with my dad, which is invaluable,” Jeremy said. “That guy was amazing for what he did with no hesitation.”

As state troopers came to help and Bears personnel got an AED (automated external defibrillator) machine, CPR was started and Roth pushed the AED button, giving Wally a shock and bringing him back to life.

“His heart stopped on the field,” Jeremy said. “It took one zap to bring him back.”

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Wally, who is from Midlothian, Illinois, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

“In the ambulance, he was responsive, and I could hear the paramedics talking with him,” said Jeremy, who sat up front.

Wally was answering questions in the emergency room.

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“I would say his energy was a little drained, but he was still himself, and he was still very coherent, very responsive to what happened, knew where what was going on,” Jeremy said.

Wally even started cracking jokes.

“He was joking about the fact that he was rooting for the Lions over the Bears,” Jeremy said.

Yes, Wally was a Bears fan, who got so frustrated with the losing, so frustrated with this franchise, that he joined the Lions bandwagon.

“It’s hard to watch the Bears if you’re a Bears fan,” Jeremy said. “And I’m a Lions fan, so maybe I had some influence on that. I feel like a lot of Bears fans sympathize with Lions fans. If it’s not going to be them, they root for the Lions, because they all hate the Packers.”

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Getting extra time

Jeremy called his stepmother, Beth Schmidt: “She was able to get to the hospital to spend those last hours with him in the room,” Jeremy said.

Jeremy said that his father seemed stable in the ER.

“Everything was okay for the time being,” Jeremy said. “He got his CAT scan, and when he came back from that, he was starting to feel weak, and he was nauseous throughout the whole thing.”

More tests were ordered.

“They were trying to figure out, is there some sort of blockage?” Jeremy said. “Do we need to do a stent? Or, you know, is this serious to the point where we’re going to have to do open heart surgery?

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While in the ER, Wally took a turn.

“He was starting to feel weaker and not feel great,” Jeremy said. “And that’s when things started to go south. You can see the monitor, and it starts beeping a little crazy and turns red — you know, it’s not okay. And then I could see it in his face, his eyes went back, and he kind of tilted his head.”

Doctors and nurses rushed into his room: “The amount of care he got was insane. I would say upwards of 30-plus people were in the emergency room, in his room, working to get him stable at that point, which they were able to do through a breathing tube. They probably zapped him another eight to 10 times down there in the emergency room.”

He was taken for another procedure, but he died during it.

“They notified us that he unfortunately did not make it through the procedure,” Jeremy said. “And they informed us that the left side of his heart had pretty much 100% blockage, which is the side they call a widow-maker. The right side was close to 100%, so no matter how much CPR or anything they did, they just were not able to save him.”

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He paused.

“I went from watching the Bears on the field at 11 o’clock with my dad to him passing at 5:30 that day,” Jeremy said. “His heart was in that bad of shape, like it was an incident waiting to happen.”

Two Lions fans linked together

On Monday, Jeremy was still in shock, still trying to process everything. He had to help set up a funeral and make arraingments.

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But he did something else.

He called Roth to thank him for what he did on that field.

“I just wanted to express my gratitude,” he said.

Here were two Lions fans, who were brought together in the strangest of ways.

Neither had ever been on an NFL field before. Roth was invited by somebody in the stands who had two extra tickets, and Jeremy had a friend with some extra field passes.

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And now, they were united in a dramatic, painful moment.

“I just wanted to comfort him,” Roth said.

And Roth can sense a higher power at work.

“We were supposed to meet,” Roth said. “It’s truly above me. It’s a spiritual thing. It’s a religious thing. It’s whatever deity you want to say, or whatever way you want to say, that things happen.”

Roth, who was incredibly disappointed and dejected, plans to stay in the Chicago area and go to the funeral.

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“For closure,” he said.

You can view this story two ways.

You can view it as a tragic ending; certainly, it was, and I feel horrible for the family.

But you can also view it another way: It’s a miracle this family got those extra four or five hours.

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The real lesson of this story

Jeremy remembers one last heartfelt moment with his father.

On the way to the game, Jeremy was just so dang happy his father went.

“When I invited him to the game, I didn’t think he was going to go,” Jeremy said. “He’s not big on cold-weather games.”

In the car, Jeremy shared something with his father.

“I told him, ‘I’m very happy you are here, because I don’t know when I’ll be able to do this with you again,’” Jeremy remembers saying, thinking about how he got the tickets. “He was ecstatic. He couldn’t have been happier to be going to that game that day.”

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Jeremy paused.

“It’s the little things that you say,” he said, “and you don’t realize how they have that much meaning.”

That is the part that I can’t stop thinking about.

Both of my parents have died in the past few years, and I find myself thinking about them at strange times. When one of my kids has some big news, I think: I should call my parents to tell them. Then, it stuns me to realize they are gone.

I used to call my parents during long drives to watch my son play college football. And now, when I’m on a long drive, like I made to Chicago on Saturday, I had a strong, overwhelming desire to call my parents while driving.

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Like I used to do.

And it’s a shock to realize, once again, they are gone.

I find myself thinking: I just wish I had a few more minutes.

Just a sliver of time to talk to them one last time.

That’s the big lesson here — the thing we can ask ourselves: What would you do if you were given a few extra minutes? Or a few more hours?

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Would you make amends? Would you ask somebody for forgiveness? Is there something you haven’t said? Would you express your love? Would you cherish every moment?

That’s the lesson here: If there is something you would do, don’t wait.

As we finish out this holiday season, as we approach a new year, I’m gonna try to use this time more carefully.

My youngest son is in town for the holidays — I have to cherish this time with him.

I have a group of friends coming for New Year’s — we have been getting together on New Year’s Eve since college. But I don’t want to take this year for granted.

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My granddaughter — who happens to be the cutest dang thing in the world — is simply growing up too fast, and I’m trying like crazy to be present every single second.

If I have one wish for this holiday season — one promise, one vow — it’s to slow down and appreciate more.

To use every stinking minute.

Because you never know when you have only a few hours.

Or even four or five extra ones.

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Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.





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Detroit, MI

LeBron James Official Playing Status for Detroit Pistons vs Lakers

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LeBron James Official Playing Status for Detroit Pistons vs Lakers


Heading into their Monday night matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Detroit Pistons anticipated potentially playing against a LaBron James-less LA team

On the injury report, the Lakers downgraded LeBron to questionable. The veteran forward has been managing a left foot injury.

That won’t stop him from playing on Monday. The Lakers have upgraded LeBron to available for the matchup against the Pistons.

Prior to LA’s current three-game stretch leading up to Monday’s game, LeBron missed two games for the first time this season. In matchups against the Portland Trail Blazers and the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers went 1-1 without their star forward.

When James returned to action on December 15 to take on the Memphis Grizzlies, LeBron checked in for 34 minutes. He scored 18 points, eight assists, and eight rebounds to help lead the Lakers past the Grizzlies.

In the next two games, LeBron appeared on the court for 34 minutes each time. He averaged 25 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists while hitting on 47 percent of his shots from the field.

When the Pistons and the Lakers met for the first and only time this season back in early November, LeBron checked in for 40 minutes. He produced 20 points, eight rebounds, and 11 assists. Although LeBron was on the floor, his presence didn’t help propel the Lakers past the Pistons as Detroit defeated LA by 12 points.

As far as the rest of the Lakers’ injury report goes, LA ruled out Christian Wood, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and Jaxson Hayes. Anthony Davis was also questionable, but has been upgraded to available.

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On Monday, the Pistons will search for their 13th victory of the year.





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Lakers’ LeBron James Could Miss Action vs Detroit Pistons

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Lakers’ LeBron James Could Miss Action vs Detroit Pistons


When the Detroit Pistons square off against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night, the home team could miss the superstar forward, LeBron James.

According to the official NBA injury report, James is considering an “injury management” absence. Lately, James has been dealing with concerns regarding his foot. He recently missed two games, although his reason for absence was personal.

Prior to his first absence, James appeared in the Lakers’ first 23 games of the season. After a 43-minute shift in a loss against the Atlanta Hawks, James sat out against the Portland Trail Blazers. He stayed off the court for the following matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

On December 15, LeBron returned to action to face the Memphis Grizzlies. He scored 18 points in 34 minutes, helping the Lakers take down the Grizzlies.

Over the next two games, LeBron appeared on the court for 34 minutes in each matchup. At this point, the Lakers are on a three-game win streak since he’s been back in action. Clearly, the presence of the superstar forward makes a big difference for LA.

When the Pistons faced the Lakers earlier this year, LeBron James checked in for 40 minutes. He scored 20 points while coming down with eight rebounds and dishing out 11 assists.

Even with LeBron on the court, the Pistons handled business and picked up an impressive 12-point victory over the Lakers, who were on quite the roll to start the season.

At this stage in the year, the Lakers are 16-12, ranking sixth in the Western Conference. When playing at home, they have won nine out of 12 games. Monday marks the first and only time the Pistons will pay the Lakers a visit this year.

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LeBron James is likely a game-time decision for the matchup, which tips at 10:30 PM ET.





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