$45M HEALTHCARE FRAUD!
‘Spend 109 Months in Federal Prisons’–US Court tells Nzeocha, 56 year old Nigerian
*Accused leads Medicaid Health Care Scam * Becomes 8th person to be so convicted *Ordered to pay more than $26 million in restitution to Medicare and Medicaid
*Drags Imo State Government into controversy
* Billed $35,819,508 for fake physical therapy services from Dec. 3, 2007-June 26, 2009
* Investigation Agencies: FBI, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General and the Texas Attorney General’s Office-Medicare Fraud Control Unit
*Convict Claims: “I’ve had an agreement with Imo State to sign my name on City Nursing patient documents as provider of physical therapy services”
*His Words: “I agree to forfeit $1,098,320 given to me by the owner of City Nursing, to the United States”
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BY CHINASA SAMUEL/CRIME REPORTER, HOUSTON
LIES could run for a long time, just a day, the truth exposes the lies. Godwin Chiedo Nzeocha, 56, a naturalized United States citizen originally from the Federal Republic of Nigeria from Imo State is one of those Nigerians that have continually being given Africa’s most populous nation a bad name among comity of nations. This specialist in health care fraud to the tune of $45 million has finally come to the end of the road, as a United States Court have sentenced him to 109 years in prison.
The Multi-Million Dollar Health aid Scam
Naija Standard gathered that Nzeocha, sentenced to a long term in federal prison was due to his shameful role in the multi-million dollar City Nursing health care fraud scheme. This was reportedly confirmed by United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson recently.
Nzeocha entered a guilty plea on Oct. 19, 2012 to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of money laundering. Nzeocha is the 8th person to be convicted in the $45 million Medicare and Medicaid health care fraud conspiracy.
Judge handed him more than 9 years sentence, accused earlier spent 12 months in Nigeria’s custody
U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon, who accepted the guilty plea, handed Nzeocha the more than nine-year sentence after giving him credit for 12 months in custody of Nigeria prisons. Judge Harmon cited the huge financial loss to the Medicare program as a significant factor in her sentencing decision, along with the use of mass-marketing and the defendant’s role as a manager and supervisor at the fraudulent physical therapy clinic. Nzeocha was further ordered to pay more than $26 million in restitution to Medicare and Medicaid, jointly and severally with his convicted co-conspirators. As part of his October plea, Nzeocha agreed to forfeit $1,098,320 given to him by the owner of City Nursing, to the United States.
According to the plea agreement, Nzeocha left the United States in 2009 to avoid arrest after receiving a telephone call from a City Nursing co-conspirator the day Umawa Imo, owner of City Nursing Services of Texas Inc., was arrested. Nzeocha admitted he had an agreement with Imo to sign his name on City Nursing patient documents as the provider of physical therapy services that he knew he was not qualified nor did provide to Medicare beneficiaries. The documents included blank treatment data forms, progress notes and daily physical therapy records. Nzeocha further admitted to knowing Imo was buying Medicare beneficiary information from recruiters and paying Medicare beneficiaries cash in order to bill for physical therapy services that were not provided. Nzeocha received approximately $1,098,320 from City Nursing.
Billed $35,819,508 for fake physical therapy services from Dec. 3, 2007-June 26, 2009
Between Dec. 3, 2007, and June 26, 2009, when Nzeocha worked at City Nursing, the company billed Medicare and Medicaid for approximately $35,819,508 worth of physical therapy services that were not provided and received approximately $26,233,122 as payment for those services from Medicare and Medicaid. Nzeocha is the 8th person to be convicted in relation to the City Nursing health care fraud scheme. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
This case has been investigated by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General and the Texas Attorney General’s Office-Medicare Fraud Control Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Julie Redlinger is prosecuting the case.
