Bassey Monday Idiong, Medicare Fraud, Texas 2009

Medicare Fraud Strike Force Operations in Houston Lead to Charges Against Six Area Residents

HOUSTON, Texas - In a shocking turn of events, six individuals have been charged with participating in a scheme to submit claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME) in Houston, Texas. The operation, led by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, has resulted in the indictment of Bassey Monday Idiong, 30, owner of B.I. Medical Supply LLC, Linda Eteimo Ere Kendabie, 27, an administrative assistant at B.I. Medical, and Modupe Babanumi, 42, a patient recruiter for B.I. Medical, all of whom reside in the Houston area.

According to the indictment, the defendants caused to be submitted to Medicare more than $840,000 in false and fraudulent claims for the kits at a billing cost of approximately $4,000 per kit. The indictment alleges that in one instance, B.I. Medical billed a kit to Medicare that included two knee braces for a Medicare beneficiary who had only one leg.

Charges were also unsealed against Ana Quinteros, 28, and Michelle Turner, 42, both of Houston, who were each charged in a superseding indictment with one count of conspiring to defraud Medicare for their participation in a scheme to submit false and fraudulent claims, also for arthritis kits. Four individuals charged in the original indictment of July 2009, Clifford Ubani, Princewill Njoku, Mary Ellis and Rolondae Mitchell-Straughter, were also charged with various healthcare frauds in the superseding indictment.

The scheme resulted in approximately $1.1 million in billings to the Medicare program. Charles L. Roberts, 57, of Houston, was arrested on October 2, 2009, on a complaint in connection with his role as a recruiter for KO Medical, a DME company owned and operated by Kate and Oliver Nkuku. Charges against Kate and Oliver Nkuku were announced previously.

The cases are being prosecuted by attorneys from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, including Assistant Chief John S. (Jay) Darden, Trial Attorneys Charles Reed and Katherine Houston, and Special Trial Attorney Anthony Burba. An indictment or a complaint is merely an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The Strike Force in Houston is the fourth phase of a targeted criminal, civil and administrative effort against individuals and health care companies that fraudulently bill the Medicare program. Since inception in March 2007, Strike Force operations in four districts have resulted in indictments of 331 individuals who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for more than $720 million.

Defendant: Bassey Monday Idiong

Criminal Charges: Participating in a scheme to submit claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME)

City and State: Houston, Texas

Exact Date: July 2009

Sentence or Outcome: Currently pending

Dollar Amounts: Over $840,000 in false and fraudulent claims

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/medicare-fraud-strike-force-operations-houston-lead-charges-against-six-area-residents