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LA Medical Supplier Sentenced for Medicare Scam
Los Angeles, CA – Sylvester Ijewere, 49, owner and operator of Maydads Medical Supply, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for his role in a power wheelchair scheme to defraud Medicare. Ijewere was also ordered to pay $211,755 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release.
Ijewere pleaded guilty to healthcare fraud on April 12, 2010, admitting that he conspired with others to purchase fraudulent prescriptions and medical documents. He used these documents to submit false claims to Medicare for expensive power wheelchairs and other durable medical equipment.
Between June 2007 and October 2009, Ijewere submitted or caused the submission of approximately $471,345 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. He received around $4,000 in reimbursement payments for each power wheelchair claim he submitted.
The scheme involved Ijewere purchasing prescriptions and medical documents from co-conspirators, including patient recruiter Donna Wells. Wells is scheduled to begin trial on November 9, 2010, for her role in the scheme.
The case was part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, a joint effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the California Department of Justice. Since its inception in 2007, the Strike Force has obtained indictments of over 810 individuals who have collectively falsely billed the Medicare program for more than $1.85 billion.
As part of the investigation, the California Department of Justice and the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services worked together to bring Ijewere to justice. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jonathan T. Baum of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry C. O’Neill of the Central District of California.
The sentencing of Ijewere is a significant blow to those involved in healthcare fraud. The case highlights the importance of law enforcement working together to prevent and investigate these types of crimes.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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