Amherst, NY – Umar Adeyola, 46, is staring down 48 federal charges after a grand jury indicted him on multiple counts of health care fraud, aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, and theft of government money. The charges, unsealed today in Buffalo, carry a maximum penalty of 22 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr., Adeyola founded and ran the HEART Foundation, a nonprofit aimed at helping local youth, and Heart Community Alliance (HCA), a for-profit entity offering counseling and psychotherapy. These organizations became the foundation of two elaborate fraud schemes that allegedly bilked private insurers and federal grant programs out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In the first scheme, Adeyola is accused of submitting false claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield, Independent Health, and Univera. He used the names and provider numbers of licensed social workers who never delivered the services, including one who was hospitalized or deceased during the claimed treatment periods. Interns and unlicensed staff actually provided the care, but were billed as fully credentialed professionals.
When Independent Health launched an audit into HCA’s billing practices, Adeyola doubled down. He’s charged with falsifying documents and making materially false statements to auditors, falsely asserting that the deceased social worker had actively rendered services. These lies were part of a broader effort to conceal the fraud and keep the cash flowing.
The second fraud scheme centered on a federal grant. In April 2013, the HEART Foundation was awarded funds through a U.S. Department of Labor grant administered by the Latino Coalition in California. Adeyola submitted over 30 fraudulent reimbursement requests, siphoning approximately $135,000 in taxpayer money meant for youth programs into his organization’s coffers.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maura K. O’Donnell is prosecuting. Adeyola was arraigned this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and released. The indictment is not a conviction—Adeyola is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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