2013 Texas News Archive
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July 30, 2013
North Texas Men, Who Owned Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Companies, Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud; Third Defendant Admits Conspiring to Make False Statements to a Financial Institution
This morning, two businessmen, Stanley Thaw, of Frisco, Texas, and Michael Kincaid, of Plano, Texas, who owned and operated hyperbaric oxygen therapy companies located in Plano, Denton, Hurst, Houston, and San Antonio, Texas, appeared before U.S. District Judge Jorge A. Solis and pleaded guilty to their roles in a conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Kernell Thaw also appeared in court this morning and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to make false statements to a financial institution regarding properties in Dallas that she purchased from a local home builder. Today's announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
July 26, 2013
Professional Medicare Beneficiary Turned Patient Recruiter Sentenced to Federal Prison
Robert Glenn Baker, 57, of Houston, has been sentenced for conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. Baker pleaded guilty to the charge on Aug. 15, 2012.
July 11, 2013
RGV DME Owner Gets 12 Years in Federal Prison for $11 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme
The owner of a now defunct McAllen area durable medical equipment (DME) business has been ordered to prison for his role in a conspiracy and scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid through fraudulent billings, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott announced today. The scheme involved approximately $11.1 million in false claims to Medicare and Medicaid.
June 26, 2013
Former Owner of Local Durable Medical Equipment Company is Sentenced to 35 Months in Federal Prison for Defrauding Medicare and Medicaid
Philip Odoemena, 60, the former owner/operator of Kingsway Medical Systems, Inc., (Kingsway) was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn to 35 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $483,995 in restitution, following his guilty plea in September 2012 to one count of health care fraud. Odoemena has been in custody since his arrest in early May 2012.
June 25, 2013
Austin Doctor Charged with Defrauding Medicare of $2 Million in Less than Two Months
Dr. Dennis B. Barson Jr., 40, and his medical clinic administrator, Dario Juarez, 53, have been charged in a 20-count indictment alleging a conspiracy to defraud Medicare of $2.1 million in less than two months, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today.
June 20, 2013
Houston Man Arrested in Health Care Fraud Scheme
Mathew U. Okorocha, 63, has been indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. Okorocha, of Houston, joins Lawrence T. Tyler, 41, also of Houston, in a 10-count superseding indictment, returned June 12, 2013.
June 6, 2013
Stafford DME Owner Heads to Federal Prison for Health Care Fraud and Identity Theft
Abdul Waheed Alex Shittu, 55, a naturalized United States citizen from the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has been sentenced to 81 months in federal prison following his convictions of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and aggravated identity theft.
June 3, 2013
Local Physicians Sentenced Again - Must Pay More than $37 Million in Restitution
Drs. Arun and Kiran Sharma, two local physicians previously sentenced for defrauding Medicare, Medicaid and more than a dozen private insurers, have appeared in federal court for a resentencing hearing on restitution and forfeiture issues.
May 21, 2013
U.S. Renal Care to Pay $7.3 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations
U.S. Renal Care, headquartered in Plano, Texas, has agreed to pay $7.3 million to resolve allegations that Dialysis Corporation of America (DCA) violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the Medicare program for more Epogen than was actually administered to dialysis patients at DCA facilities, the Justice Department announced today.
April 23, 2013
Healthcare Fraud Lawsuit against Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. for Orchestrating a Multi-Million Dollar Prescription Drug Kickback Scheme
Suit alleges Novartis induced pharmacies to switch thousands of transplant patients to one of its drugs with kickbacks disguised as rebates and discounts, resulting in Medicare and Medicaid paying tens of millions of dollars in kickback-tainted reimbursements
April 18, 2013
Owner of Texas Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Companies Sentenced to 41 Months
Hugh Marion Willett, the owner of two Texas-based durable medical equipment companies, was sentenced to 41 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $182,450 in restitution. Willett claimed to provide orthotics and other DME to beneficiaries of Medicare and private insurance benefit programs including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield and CIGNA.
April 9, 2013
Amarillo, Texas, Orthodontist Sentenced to 50 Months in Federal Prison on Health Care Fraud Conviction
Dr. Michael David Goodwin, an orthodontist who practiced in Amarillo, Texas, and Crown Point, Indiana, was sentenced today to 50 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $1,810,960 in restitution for health care fraud related to the Texas Medicaid program. In addition, Goodwin must forfeit $1,558,911, which are the gross proceeds traceable to his crime, as well as more than $244,000 the government seized in May and July 2011 from his accounts.
April 3, 2013
Federal Jury Convicts Three in Health Care Fraud Scheme Stemming From Their Involvement in the Operation of Euless Healthcare Corp.
Defendants Godwin Umotong, and Comfort Gates, both of Houston, were each convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. In addition, Umotong was also convicted on five counts of health care fraud and Gates was convicted on two counts of health care fraud.
March 22, 2013
Durable Medical Equipment Company Owner Arrested in 21-Count Health Care Fraud Indictment
The indictment indicates that between March 29, 2008, and November 30, 2009, Andrea Michelle Tellison submitted approximately $1,480,511.31 worth of claims.
March 14, 2013
Houston-Area Doctor Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Role in $17.3 Million Medicare Fraud
Ben Harris Echols was also sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $2,918,830 in restitution.
March 14, 2013
McAllen Urologist and Wife Charged in Heath Care Fraud Scheme and Conspiracy to Violate Iranian Sanctions
Hossein Lahiji M.D. and his wife, attorney Najmeh Vahid Lahiji conspired to violate Iranian Sanctions by transferring approximately $1.1 million to Iran.
March 5, 2013
Owner and Operator of Houston-Area Ambulance Service Convicted in Medicare Fraud
Olusola Elliott submitted and caused the submission of approximately $1,713,716 in fraudulent ambulance service claims to Medicare.
February 25, 2013
Old Saybrook Physical Therapist Sentenced, Agrees to Pay $328,828
Todd Roberts and an employee at his direction created and added patient progress notes when no notes had been created at the time of service.
February 21, 2013
RGV DME Owner and Two Others Convicted in $11 Million Health Care Fraud
Marcello Herrera, 40, admitted he sent more than $11.1 million in false claims to Medicare and Medicaid.
January 30, 2013
Physician Pleads Guilty to Role in Health Care Fraud Conspiracy
Dr. Daniel K. Leong who owned South Dallas Community Medical Center (SDCMC) pleaded guilty to falsely representing that office visits and diagnostic tests were medically necessary.
January 18, 2013
Owner of Texas Durable Medical Equipment Companies Convicted in Fraud Scheme
Hugh Marion Willet was found guilty of submitting claims to Medicare and other insurers for products that were different and more expensive than what was actually provided .
