Related Federal Cases
- Juan A. Tony Marrero, Medicare Fraud Scheme, Miami FL, 2023 · Florida
- Jason Jarin, Medicaid Fraud and Illicit Transition Procedures, Dall… · Oklahoma
- Shannon Tecoko Mays, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Texas, 2012 · Kansas
- James Pavlounis, Social Security Administration Fraud and Tax Evasi… · Ohio
- Camille Childress, Medicaid Scam, St. Louis MO, 2021 · Missouri
Defendant Pleads Guilty to Conspiring in Largest PAS Fraud Case in Texas History
Godwin Oriakhi, 61, of Houston, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of money laundering in the largest Provider Attendant Services (PAS) fraud case charged in Texas history.
Oriakhi, the owner and operator of five Houston-area home health agencies, admitted to conspiring to defraud Medicare and the State of Texas’s Medicaid-funded Home and Community-Based Service and Primary Home Care programs of more than $17 million.
According to his plea, Oriakhi admitted to obtaining patients for his home health agencies by paying illegal kickback payments to patient recruiters and his office employees for hundreds of patient referrals. He also admitted to paying Medicare and Medicaid patients for receiving services from his family’s home health agencies in exchange for the ability to use their Medicare and Medicaid numbers to bill the programs for home healthcare and PAS services.
Oriakhi further admitted that he paid physicians illegal kickbacks for referring and certifying Medicare and Medicaid patients for home health and PAS services. He also admitted to using the money fraudulently obtained from Medicare and Medicaid to pay illegal kickback payments to patient recruiters, employees, physicians and patients to promote the Medicare home health and Medicaid PAS fraud conspiracies.
Oriakhi is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sim Lake on June 22, 2017. In total, he and his family submitted approximately $17,212,051 in fraudulent home healthcare and PAS claims to Medicare and Medicaid and received approximately $16,198,600 on those claims.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez of the Southern District of Texas, and other federal and state law enforcement officials made the announcement.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News