US Cracks Down on Healthcare Fraud: Nigerian National Among 324 Defendants Indicted
A massive healthcare fraud crackdown in the United States has resulted in charges against 324 defendants, including a 67-year-old Nigerian National, Olatunbosun Osukoya, for their alleged involvement in schemes totaling over $14.6 billion in intended losses.
According to the US Department of Justice, Osukoya, owner of Ayo Biometrics LLC, also known as Cambridge Diagnostics, submitted over $25 million in false medical claims to Medicare, TRICARE, and other insurers for electroencephalogram (EEG) testing. The indictment alleges that Osukoya recruited individuals with insurance plans to undergo expensive EEG testing and paid kickbacks and bribes to physicians and others to refer patients to his laboratory.
Osukoya’s company, Cambridge Diagnostics, received over $5 million for the claims and paid out over $450,000 in illegal kickbacks.
The scheme involved falsifying diagnoses and labelling kickback payments as loans, medical directorships, and consultation fees to conceal the scheme.
This nationwide takedown, led by the Justice Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit, targeted Healthcare Fraud Schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets.
Khadeer Khan Mohammed, 44, of India, was charged with healthcare fraud for submitting false claims to Medicare for genetic testing worth $93 million.
Gary Martin, a medical clinic owner from McKinney, Texas, was accused of conspiracy to solicit or receive kickbacks for referrals to the federal healthcare program connected to $73 million in false claims.
The US Department of Justice emphasizes its commitment to combating healthcare fraud schemes that exploit vulnerable citizens and steal from taxpayers. The investigation highlights the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies and regulatory bodies to prevent such fraudulent activities.
