Wheelchair Fraudster Yusuf Gets 87 Months

TYLER, Texas – Vivian Yusuf, 44, formerly of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced for her role in a brazen Medicare fraud scheme that bilked the system out of over $3.4 million. U.S. District Judge Michael Schneider handed down an 87-month sentence today, bringing a long-awaited conclusion to a case riddled with stolen identities and forged documents.

Yusuf, the former owner of Houston-area medical supply company Ivy Health Care Supply, pleaded guilty on September 17, 2014, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. The scheme, which ran from June 2007 to May 2009, centered around illegally marketing power wheelchairs, accessories, and so-called “ortho kits” – essentially bags of cheap braces, wraps, and a heat lamp – to vulnerable Medicare recipients.

The operation wasn’t about legitimate medical need; it was about cold, calculated theft. Yusuf and her co-conspirators, including Aghaegbuna “Ike” Odelugo and James Reese, illegally obtained the personal health information of elderly individuals – names, dates of birth, and crucially, their Medicare numbers. They then supplied beneficiaries with equipment they didn’t need, hadn’t requested, and in some cases, weren’t even alive to receive. Forged physician signatures were commonplace, cementing the fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare.

The scale of the fraud is staggering. Claims totaling over $3.4 million were submitted, resulting in Yusuf and her crew pocketing more than $1.6 million. But Yusuf wasn’t the only one facing justice. Odelugo, involved in a similar scheme, received a 72-month sentence, with his fraud costing Medicare approximately $9.9 million. Reese, facing even more severe charges, was sentenced to a whopping 180 months for his scheme which defrauded Medicare of $8.6 million.

Yusuf managed to evade authorities for years, becoming a fugitive before finally being apprehended on June 3, 2014, at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. She was originally indicted on January 12, 2012, on charges of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Her capture and subsequent sentencing send a clear message: exploiting the Medicare system will not be tolerated.

The investigation was a collaborative effort by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Texas Office of the Attorney General – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (OAG-MFCU), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken McGurk prosecuted the case, securing a conviction and a lengthy prison sentence for Yusuf and her criminal associates. This case is a stark reminder of the pervasive fraud targeting vulnerable seniors and the tireless work of law enforcement to bring these criminals to justice.