WASHINGTON – Two Houston-area nurses and two of their co-conspirators have been sentenced in Houston for their participation in a $5.2 million Medicare fraud scheme, announced the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Service (HHS).
Mary Ellis, 56, a registered nurse, was sentenced today to 63 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $401,000 in restitution. Ellis was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to pay kickbacks, three counts of receiving illegal kickbacks and two counts of making false statements following a May 2011 trial.
Caroline Njoku, 46, also a registered nurse, was sentenced yesterday to 63 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release and was ordered to pay $631,295 in restitution. Njoku was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to pay kickbacks following a May 2011 trial.
Terrie Porter, 48, was sentenced yesterday to two years in prison and two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $482,380 in restitution. Porter was convicted of one count of conspiracy to receive kickbacks and one count of receiving illegal kickbacks following a May 2011 trial.
Florida Holiday Island, 62, was sentenced yesterday to 20 days in prison, five months of home detention and two and a half years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $59,739 in restitution. Island pleaded guilty in March 2011 to one count of conspiracy to receive kickbacks and one count of receiving illegal kickbacks.
The defendants were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas in the Southern District of Texas. The four defendants were ordered to pay restitution jointly and severally with co-conspirators and defendants in a related case. As part of the sentencing, the court found that Ellis and Porter had obstructed justice by testifying untruthfully at trial.
According to the evidence presented at trial and in court documents, Family Healthcare Group, a Houston home health care company, purported to provide skilled nursing to Medicare beneficiaries. Family Healthcare Group paid Ellis, Porter, Island and other co-conspirators to recruit Medicare beneficiaries for the purpose of filing claims with Medicare for skilled nursing that was medically unnecessary and/or not provided. According to evidence presented at trial, Njoku and Ellis falsified documents to support the fraudulent payments. After the Medicare beneficiaries were recruited, other co-conspirators fraudulently signed plans of care stating that the beneficiaries needed home health care when in fact they knew the beneficiaries were not home-bound and not in need of skilled nursing.
Co-defendant Adelma Casas Sevilla, a registered nurse, was previously sentenced to 18 months in prison. A second co-defendant, Sammie Wilson, received three years of probation after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Four other defendants involved in the scheme are pending sentencing.
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Report Medicare & Medicaid Fraud by Calling 1-888-482-6825 or by visiting
www.usawhistleblower.com
The defendants were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas in the Southern District of Texas. The four defendants were ordered to pay restitution jointly and severally with co-conspirators and defendants in a related case. As part of the sentencing, the court found that Ellis and Porter had obstructed justice by testifying untruthfully at trial.
According to the evidence presented at trial and in court documents, Family Healthcare Group, a Houston home health care company, purported to provide skilled nursing to Medicare beneficiaries. Family Healthcare Group paid Ellis, Porter, Island and other co-conspirators to recruit Medicare beneficiaries for the purpose of filing claims with Medicare for skilled nursing that was medically unnecessary and/or not provided. According to evidence presented at trial, Njoku and Ellis falsified documents to support the fraudulent payments. After the Medicare beneficiaries were recruited, other co-conspirators fraudulently signed plans of care stating that the beneficiaries needed home health care when in fact they knew the beneficiaries were not home-bound and not in need of skilled nursing.
Co-defendant Adelma Casas Sevilla, a registered nurse, was previously sentenced to 18 months in prison. A second co-defendant, Sammie Wilson, received three years of probation after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Four other defendants involved in the scheme are pending sentencing.
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Report Medicare & Medicaid Fraud by Calling 1-888-482-6825 or by visiting
www.usawhistleblower.com
