Angelita Newton, Medicare Fraud, Illinois 2020
Chicago Woman Found Guilty of $7 Million Medicare Scheme
A federal jury in Illinois has found a local woman guilty of her role in a scheme to defraud Medicare of approximately $7 million between 2011 and 2017.
Angelita Newton, 42, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. Sentencing has been scheduled for October 13, 2020, before U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall of the Northern District of Illinois, who presided over the trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, Newton worked at Care Specialists, a home health company based in Chicago, Illinois, owned by Ferdinand Echavia and Ma Luisa Echavia. Newton conspired with the Echavias and others to submit claims to Medicare for unnecessary home health services for unqualified patients, or for visits that did not happen as billed.
The evidence showed that between 2011 and 2017, Medicare paid Care Specialists approximately $7 million for home health care services.
Three other defendants have been charged in connection with the fraud at Care Specialists. Ferdinand Echavia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud on January 28, 2020, and is awaiting sentencing. Ma Luisa Echavia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud on January 29, 2020, and is awaiting sentencing. A former nurse at Care Specialists, Reginald Onate, 31, of Aurora, Illinois, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and is awaiting sentencing.
The case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which has charged over 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for nearly $19 billion since its inception in March 2007.
The investigation and prosecution of this case is a testament to the commitment of the U.S. government to protecting the integrity of the Medicare program and holding accountable those who seek to exploit it.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Leslie S. Garthwaite and Patrick Mott of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
The U.S. government urges anyone with information about health care fraud to contact the HHS-OIG’s hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477).
Mandatory Facts:
Defendant/Respondent: Angelita Newton, 42
Criminal Charges: Conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud
City/State: Chicago, Illinois
Exact Date: October 13, 2020
Sentence/Outcome: Sentencing scheduled for October 13, 2020
Dollar Amounts: Approximately $7 million
Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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