Atawan Mundu John, Attempted Witness Tampering, Washington 2023

Atawan Mundu John, a.k.a., John Mundu Atawan, 46, of Hyattsville, Maryland, was sentenced to nine months in prison for attempting to tamper with a witness more than nine years ago during a federal healthcare fraud investigation in Washington DC.

John was employed by Florence Bikundi’s home health care agency as a personal care aide when Bikundi was arrested in February 2014 for a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud the D.C. Medicaid program. A Medicaid beneficiary who received kickbacks from John placed a recorded call to him on June 12, 2014, instructing him to lie to the FBI about ever receiving money or kickbacks.

Law enforcement agents confronted John with the recorded call five days later. Before formal charges were brought against him, John fled the area. John remained a fugitive until July 13, 2023, when he was arrested in Maryland.

On August 4, 2023, John pleaded guilty to attempted tampering with a witness before U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell. Today, Judge Howell sentenced him to nine months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $80,493 in restitution to the D.C. Medicaid program.

U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, and Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon praised the efforts of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, and the District of Columbia’s Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for their tireless work on this case.

The government urges the public to provide tips and assistance to stop health care fraud. If you have information about individuals committing health care fraud, including the whereabouts of Christian Asongcha, please call the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General hotline at 800-HHS-TIPS (800 447-8477) or the D.C. Office of the Inspector General at 202-724-TIPS (202 724-8477).

The case is a reminder of the importance of protecting witnesses and holding those accountable who attempt to tamper with them. It is a testament to the dedication of law enforcement agencies and the justice system to bring perpetrators to justice, no matter how long it takes.

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