New Jersey widow admits to shocking animal hospital vet scandal

🏥 Animal hospital stayed open after vet death

🏥 NJ widow had 2 men pose as vets

🏥 Convict avoids prison

A Montclair widow appears to have dodged prison time, after keeping the Totowa Animal Hospital open with fake veterinarians until a pet’s death during surgery.

Alia Muslih and two New York men accused of posing as phony vets for roughly six months in 2021 had faced dozens of charges after their initial arrests.

This week in Superior Court in Passaic County, the 43-year-old Muslih pleaded guilty to third-degree charges of impersonation, healthcare claims fraud, failure to file and pay tax and animal cruelty.

Read More: NJ widow, NY men accused as fake vets at Totowa Animal Hospital 

After tragic death, NJ woman had duo dupe vet clients

Muslih’s husband, Adel Hamdan, was a popular, licensed veterinarian. The 73-year-old man died in December 2020 of COVID-19, as previously reported by NorthJersey.com.

Hamdan had been licensed to operate the facility — but there was no one qualified on staff after his death.

In July 2021, a dog owner called police after her pet died, following a routine spay appointment at Totowa Animal Hospital.

Police notified the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office White Collar Crimes Division, which opened an investigation.

Authorities found that Muslih had illegally kept the animal hospital open months after her husband’s death, with Abdel-Fatah and Gamarra allegedly posing as vets.

Police said they were doing surgical procedures and giving medical treatment to animals.

By August 2021, the state Board of Veterinary Medicine confirmed that Totowa Animal Hospital was no longer a licensed veterinary clinic.

At her sentencing in June, Muslih will face up to 5 years probation, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said.

She also has agreed to pay restitution to the victims, in the very specific amount of $422,666.75.

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