Post by Scumhunter on May 7, 2020 1:44:45 GMT -5
(Above photo credit: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services- Office of Inspector General website)
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)- Office of Inspector General (OIG) website):
On December 19, 2013, Dr. Uche Chukwudi was indicted on charges of healthcare fraud and conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud. Investigators believe that Dr. Chukwudi was involved in a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare approximately $7.3 million for durable medical equipment (DME) that was never provided and was medically unnecessary.
Co-conspirator Adeline Ekwebelem owned Adelco Medical Distributors, a DME supplier in Gardena, California. According to the indictment, Ekwebelem paid marketers to solicit Medicare beneficiaries and offer them free DME, such as power wheelchairs, hospital beds, and orthotics, that they did not need. In return for the free products, the beneficiaries agreed to visit certain physicians, including Dr. Chukwudi, who would then use their beneficiary information to create false patient files and false statements in "face-to-face examination" forms. Dr. Chukwudi and other physicians then wrote prescriptions for the DME to be filled at Adelco.
Dr. Chukwudi referred more than 200 Medicare beneficiaries to Adelco for expensive, medically unnecessary DME, which enabled Ekwebelem to falsely bill Medicare for approximately $1.18 million. Dr. Chukwudi allegedly received cash kickbacks in return for writing the fraudulent prescriptions.
Ekwebelem was convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, healthcare fraud, and paying kickbacks for the recruitment of Medicare beneficiaries. Dr. Charles Okoye, a physician who referred more than 200 beneficiaries to Adelco, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud. Both are awaiting sentencing. Patient recruiters Cindy Santana, Maritza Hernandez, and Romie Tucker, Jr., each pleaded guilty to illegal remunerations for healthcare referrals. Hernandez received 9 months in jail, while Santana and Tucker are awaiting sentencing.
Dr. Chukwudi fled the United States prior to his trial in September 2014. His whereabouts are currently unknown, and he remains a fugitive at-large.
oig.hhs.gov/fraud/fugitives/profiles.asp#other-fugitives (scroll down for case)
Thoughts? As of this posting date (May 7th, 2020), Chukwudi remains listed as a wanted fugitive on the HHS-OIG website.
Admin Note #1: According to the HHS-OIG website, anyone having information on this fugitive should report a tip via the following link: tips.oig.hhs.gov/report-a-fugitive/create-complaint
Admin Note #2: If you have any news-related updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form