Carolyn Bryant-Taylor, Medicaid Healthcare Fraud, Virginia 2023

LYNCHBURG, Va. - A shocking case of Medicaid healthcare fraud has been brought to light in Virginia, with six defendants sentenced for stealing upwards of $10 million from the state's Medicaid system.

The defendants, who were found guilty of submitting false claims on behalf of 1st Adult N Pediatric Healthcare Services, were sentenced in U.S. District Court in Lynchburg.

The three owners of 1st Adult N Pediatric, Carolyn Bryant-Taylor, 61, of Clinton, Md., Kafomdi Josephine Okocha, 50, of Upper Marlboro, Md., and Samuel Okocha, 52, of Upper Marlboro, Md., were sentenced to 120 months, 96 months, and 72 months in prison, respectively.

According to court documents, the defendants conspired to submit false claims to Medicaid for services that were not provided to patients, including falsifying records and documentation in support of the fraudulent claims submitted for reimbursement.

The scheme, which lasted for six years from 2017 to 2023, involved the defendants submitting claims for services that were either not provided at all or in excess of what was provided.

The conspirators have acknowledged the actual loss to the Medicaid program from 1st Adult's improved billing was $10,000,000.

The six defendants, including Bryant-Taylor, Josephine Okocha, Samuel Okocha, Eno Utuk, Elizabeth Ilome, and Shekita Gore, were also ordered to pay restitution totaling $10 million to Virginia Medicaid.

'This United States Attorney's Office will hold accountable those who commit healthcare fraud and steal from hardworking Americans,' Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Virginia Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, with assistance from the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Jones and Laura Taylor, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Terry, a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General's Office, prosecuted the case.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdva/pr/six-sentenced-healthcare-fraud-conspiracy-stole-10-million-medicaid-over-six-year