2 charged in $10M Medicare fraud, kickback scheme in Houston area: US Attorney

HOUSTON – A home health company proprietor and patient recruiter have been arrested for Medicare fraud and kickback techniques, U.S. Legal professional Jennifer B. Lowery declared Thursday.

Okorie Oko, 63, of Fresno and 57-year-outdated Henry Henry C. Dobbins of Houston have both been billed with conspiracy to dedicate, committing overall health care fraud and conspiracy to spend and get healthcare kickbacks.

In accordance to the indictment, Oko is the owner of Elitte Health care and Service Inc. and Dobbins is a patient recruiter.

The indictment alleges that from 2015 to 2022, Oko billed Medicare for property overall health care companies that ended up in no way furnished and established false health care records. Oko allegedly compensated kickbacks to Dobbins, sufferers and entrepreneurs that Elitte utilized to get hold of new affected person referrals. Oko also allegedly billed Medicare for dwelling health care providers furnished to Elitte marketers although transporting and recruiting people inside the group.

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The indictment also alleges Oko and Elitte fraudulently billed far more than $10 million to Medicare.

If convicted, both of those confront up to 10 a long time in federal jail and a achievable $250,000 maximum high-quality.

The Division of Wellbeing and Human Expert services ‐ Workplace of Inspector Standard carried out the investigation with the help of the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Regulate Device and FBI. Specific Assistant U.S. Lawyer Kathryn Olson is prosecuting the circumstance.