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Source: Springfield doctor sues Columbus accounting firm alleging theft

A lawsuit filed by a local doctor alleges an employee at a Columbus-based accounting firm embezzled several hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Springfield medical practice.

Dr. M. Husain Jawadi of Springfield Endocrinology and Internal Medicine Inc. filed a lawsuit last week against Berger and Associates and their employee Pamela J. Marton and Dale W. Marton. The doctor also accuses the accounting firm and Marton of allegedly not filing the practice’s taxes on time.

Berger and Associates couldn’t be reached for comment and Marton didn’t return a call from the Springfield New-Sun.

Dan Harkins, the attorney for Jawadi, said his client wished to decline comment.

“He would like the lawsuit to speak for itself and the matter will go through litigation,” Harkins said. “We have no further comment.”

Springfield Endocrinology and Internal Medicine’s office is at 30 W. McCreight Ave.

The lawsuit filed in Clark County Common Pleas Court states the two had a business relationship since the 1990s. The suit alleges Berger and Associates didn’t fulfill their accounting duties.

“Berger and B&A were unjustly enriched by the payments, which they received from plaintiffs,” the claim states.

The suit alleges the accounting firm failed to file taxes in time, which resulted in thousands of dollars in penalties.

It also claims Marton allegedly stole money from the doctor’s office.

“Marton was assigned by Berger and/or B&A to assist … in providing payroll services and other tax preparation services to plaintiffs,” the suit states.

An attachment to the lawsuit lists more than 200 checks that allegedly contained the forged signature of Jawadi. The amount combined reaches hundreds of thousands of dollars. The checks are dated from 2010 through 2017, but the lawsuit says that there might be more.

“While an employee of Berger and/or B&A, and without the authority, consent, knowledge and/or permission of plaintiffs, Marton used plaintiffs’ check stock and banking information and undertook other means to embezzle and/or misappropriate funds from plaintiffs,” the suit says.

It also accuses Berger and Associates of not exercising appropriate control and supervision of Marton, reportedly allowing the alleged embezzlement to occur.

A court date hasn’t been set in the case.