SHREVEPORT, La: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today
that Godspower Joseph Essang, 35, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced today, to 37 months
in federal prison with three years supervised release for Medicare fraud.
Essang was also ordered to pay $613,096 in restitution to Medicare. Judge Maurice
S. Hicks immediately remanded Essang into the custody of the U. S. Marshal’s Service to
begin serving his sentence.
Essang was sentenced based on his Sept. 28, 2012, guilty plea to one count of health
care fraud. During the guilty plea hearing, Essang admitted owning and operating Shalom
Equipment, a durable medical equipment company, located on Woodward Avenue in
Shreveport. Shalom engaged in the business of providing what were referred to as “ortho
kits,” which were braces for various parts of the body. Essang admitted paying individuals
to provide him with their Medicare beneficiaries and physicians information. He then used
this identifying information to file false claims with Medicare for providing the “ortho kits”
to Medicare beneficiaries who did not need, were not prescribed and/or did not receive
the items. Essang admitted that between Aug. 12, 2007 and Oct. 21, 2008, he filed
approximately 736 claims, billing Medicare for $1,223,255. Medicare actually paid out
$613,096 on the claims.
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Report Medicare & Medicaid Fraud by Calling 1-888-482-6825 or by visiting
www.usawhistleblower.com
