Six Los Angeles Defendants Indicted for Federal Healthcare Fraud

In a nationwide crackdown on Medicare fraud, six individuals in Los Angeles were arrested on charges of submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare, most of which were for electric wheelchairs that were never delivered. Three federal indictments charging six defendants were unsealed in United States District Court in Los Angeles. The local charges are just part of federal cases filed in nine cities across the United States, totaling  111 defendants. The six defendants are expected to be arraigned on the health care fraud charges in federal court in downtown Los Angeles. 

Over nine years, Camillus Ehige and Evans Oniha submitted more than $16 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for durable medical equipment and in-home nursing services. They were the owners of Caravan Medical Supplies in Culver City and Prosperity Home Health Services in Lawndale, California. They are charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and several counts of fraud for billing the Medicare program for durable medical equipment that were not even provided . They also paid marketers for access to beneficiary information or to have beneficiaries obtain fraudulent prescriptions for equipment or services. They were also charged with making a false statement in a health care matter, and obstructing an investigation into a federal healthcare offense. 

In another case, Charles Achike Agbu and Obageli Brooke Agbu, were charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud  and submitting fraudulent claims for durable medical equipment through their Carson companies. The indictment states they billed Medicare for durable medical equipment, like electric wheelchairs that were not needed, wanted, or even delivered Medicare beneficiaries for whom the bills were submitted. Also as part of the illegal scheme, they obtained prescriptions from doctors for the medically unnecessary equipment and then used those prescriptions to submit fraudulent claims to the federal Medicare program.

The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations are a part of the Health Care Fraud Prevention & Enforcement Action Team (HEAT). This is a joint program between the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services to prevent and deter healthcare fraud. These Strike Force cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the California Bureau of Medical Fraud and Elder Abuse.

Healthcare fraud involves knowingly and willfully attempting to execute a scheme of defrauding any healthcare benefit program, or by false pretenses, promises to obtain any money or property owned by or controlled by any healthcare benefit program. Contacting an experienced Los Angeles healthcare fraud defense attorney is critical if you are facing a federal healthcare fraud investigation. You can face to 10 years of prison and severe fines if you are convicted.

Any federal indictment or investigation is a serious criminal matter. Federal attorneys  Steve Cron and  Philip Israels will assist you in evaluating the allegations as to whether there is real basis for the investigation. We will guide you through all aspects of the federal investigation while preserving your rights in the process. They have an exceptional record of success defending their clients in all California federal courts.