Nigerian Man Indicted in $1.08 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
What happened
Ezechukwu Joshua Ohaka, a Nigerian man, was indicted by a federal grand jury for alleged involvement in a Medicare fraud scheme. Through his Houston-based company, Luant & Odera, Inc., Ohaka and co-conspirators allegedly submitted over $3.1 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for durable medical equipment. The indictment stated that the gross proceeds of the fraud allegedly totaled approximately $1.08 million.
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Why it matters
The scheme involved billing Medicare for medically unnecessary items, such as power wheelchairs and motorized scooters. Ohaka allegedly targeted beneficiaries in areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, using kickbacks to recruit victims. This type of fraud strains the financial resources of the Medicare program.
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Who's involved
Who could feel it
Possible knock-on effectsThese are possibilities Brind reasoned out, not predictions, and not advice. Most are not stated in any report.
- CMSSpeculative
CMS could face increased administrative and enforcement costs due to fraud targeting DME claims.
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The entities involved
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Houston
seat of Harris County, and largest city in State of Texas, United States
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Medicare
US federal health insurance
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Nigeria
sovereign state in West Africa
Related events
- Fraud allegations involving Medicare in Texas are currently being investigated by the Department of Justice.
- Fraud schemes targeting Medicare have been identified, involving defendants and activities across Los Angeles, Illinois, and Texas.
- FBI is investigating a $3.7 billion healthcare fraud scheme involving Medicare billing for non-existent medical equipment.
- Fraudulent schemes targeting federal health insurance programs were reported in the US.