October 1, 2023

Healthcare Tools Suppliers Convicted of Wellness Care Fraud | OPA

A federal jury convicted two men nowadays for partaking in a scheme to defraud Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed treatment programs of over $3.8 million.

In accordance to courtroom documents and proof presented at trial, Ikechukwu Udeokoro, 47, of North Bergen, New Jersey, owned Meik Health care Products and Supply (Meik), a resilient health-related equipment supplier that was located in the Bronx, New York. Ayodeji Fasonu, 56, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, was Meik’s manager. By means of Meik, Udeokoro and Fasonu billed Medicare Gain and Medicaid managed treatment options for hundreds of high priced affected person assist methods that had been in no way delivered to people or caregivers. These help methods involved significant gadgets that had been created to aid with lifting motionless patients and sufferers in nursing homes. In reality, Udeokoro and Fasonu furnished patients with recliner chairs that experienced a seat raise aspect. In between December 2010 and February 2014, Udeokoro and Fasonu fraudulently billed Medicare Edge and Medicaid managed care plans a lot more than $3.8 million and were paid roughly $2.4 million.

Udeokoro and Fasonu were both equally convicted of health care fraud. They are scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 14 and Aug. 16, respectively, and just about every faces a utmost penalty of 10 a long time in jail. A federal district courtroom decide will decide any sentence just after looking at the U.S. Sentencing Suggestions and other statutory variables.

Assistant Lawyer Typical Kenneth A. Well mannered, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Felony Division U.S. Legal professional Breon Peace for the Japanese District of New York Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division Assistant Director in Cost Michael J. Driscoll of the FBI New York Industry Business office and Specific Agent in Demand Scott J. Lampert of the Section of Health and fitness and Human Solutions Place of work of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Office of Investigations produced the announcement.

The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the situation.

Demo Attorneys Andrew Estes and Patrick J. Campbell of the Prison Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the situation.

The Fraud Portion potential customers the Criminal Division’s endeavours to beat health and fitness treatment fraud by means of the Health Treatment Fraud Strike Force Software. Considering the fact that March 2007, this system, comprised of 15 strike forces running in 24 federal districts, has charged far more than 4,200 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare system for a lot more than $19 billion. In addition, the Facilities for Medicare & Medicaid Services, doing work in conjunction with the Business office of the Inspector Common for the Office of Health and fitness and Human Products and services, are having techniques to keep providers accountable for their involvement in overall health care fraud schemes. Much more facts can be observed at https://www.justice.gov/legal-fraud/well being-care-fraud-device.