LOS ANGELES – In a shocking case of medical malfeasance, Charles Okoye, a 52-year-old Carson resident and licensed physician, has pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to defraud Medicare by writing prescriptions for unnecessary power wheelchairs and other durable medical equipment (DME).
Okoye, who appeared before United States District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald, admitted to writing prescriptions for DME after giving patients a single, cursory examination. The patients were referred to him by Adelco Medical Distributors, Inc., a Gardena-based DME supply company, which then billed Medicare for the equipment, resulting in over $1.7 million in fraudulent claims.
As part of his plea agreement, Okoye admitted to receiving illegal kickbacks from Adelco’s owner, Adeline Ekwebelem, 51, of Hawthorne, for every DME prescription. Ekwebelem is scheduled to go on trial before Judge Fitzgerald on September 9.
The investigation, conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, revealed that Okoye’s referrals led Adelco to submit approximately $1.7 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, with Medicare paying out over $820,000. Okoye also fraudulently billed Medicare more than $50,000 for services he claimed to have provided to the patients.
Okoye’s guilty plea also admitted to a similar unlawful arrangement with another DME company, Esteem Medical Supply in Inglewood. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Fitzgerald on December 8 and faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
As part of his guilty plea, Okoye has agreed that the California Medical Board can revoke his license to practice medicine. The case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat of healthcare scams and the need for vigilance in the medical community.
The investigation into Okoye, Ekwebelem, and the others involved in Adelco’s scheme to defraud Medicare is a prime example of the federal government’s commitment to protecting the integrity of the Medicare program and holding accountable those who seek to exploit it for personal gain.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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