Stephen Jon Rondestvedt and Mustafa Hassan Mussa Charged in Medicaid Fraud Schemes

Source- http://www.fbi.gov/minneapolis/press-releases/2011/two-charged-in-medicaid-fraud-schemes

MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier today in federal court, a former employee and the operator of Universal Home Health, a home health care agency located in Golden Valley, were charged with offenses related to defrauding Medicaid. In separate Informations, Stephen Jon Rondestvedt, age 58, of Minneapolis, was charged with one count of health care fraud, and Mustafa Hassan Mussa, age 56, of Minnetonka, was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft.

Allegedly, from February 18, 2008, through December of 2010, Rondestvedt, an employee of Universal, defrauded Medicaid by submitting false reimbursement claims for personal care services. Rondestvedt allegedly agreed to provide and facilitate kickback payments to the family of a Medicaid recipient, who did not actually receive the personal care assistant services for which Universal billed Medicaid. The total estimated loss to Medicaid due to these actions is approximately $55,000.

Universal submitted its Medicaid claims for reimbursement to the Minnesota Department of Human Services (“DHS”), which administers the Medicaid program in Minnesota. The Medicaid program provides medical care and services to low-income people who meet certain income and eligibility requirements. Personal care attendants (“PCA”) visit Medicaid patients in their homes and assist with daily tasks.

Furthermore, on May 26, 2009, Mussa, who operated Universal, allegedly used the identification of a Medicaid recipient during and in relation to the submission of fraudulent billings to Medicaid. The fraudulent claim represented to DHS that a PCA was providing service to a Medicaid recipient who, in fact, was not receiving services from the PCA. The claim submitted in May 2009 was allegedly one of a substantial number of similarly fraudulent claims submitted to Medicaid through Universal between 2008 and 2010.

If convicted, Rondestvedt faces a potential maximum penalty of ten years in prison, and Mussa faces a mandatory penalty of two years in prison. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge.


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