Crime & Safety

Local Man Indicted for Alleged Medicare Fraud

Six from the Los Angeles area are indicted for submitting nearly $30 million in fraudulent bills to Medicare.

A local man was one of six in the Los Angeles-area arrested Thursday on charges of submitting more than $16 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare with another defendant.

Evans Oniha, 48, of Rancho Palos Verdes, self-surrendered Thursday morning.

Oniha and another defendant, Camillus Ehigie, 50, of Woodland Hills, allegedly submitted more than $16 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare throughout the course of nine years.

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The claims were for durable medical equipment and in-home nursing services typically not provided to Medicare beneficiaries, according to a statement from the Department of Justice.

The two were owners/operators of Caravan Medical Supplies in Culver City and Prosperity Home Health Services in Lawndale.

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Both were charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and several substantive counts of health care fraud for billing the Medicare program for durable medical equipment and home health services that were not medically necessary and, in many instances, not even provided, according to the DOJ release.

Oniha and Ehigie allegedly paid “marketers” for access to Medicare beneficiary information or to have Medicare beneficiaries obtain fraudulent prescriptions for equipment or services. They were also charged with making a false statement in a health care matter.

Additional Southland defendants arrested Thursday are: Charles Achike Agbu, 56, of Carson; Obageli Brooke Agbu, who is Charles Agbu’s daughter, 24, of Carson; Joseph Ofoegbu, 58, Gardena; and Sarah Hua, 64, of Monterey Par.

“With this takedown, we have identified and shut down large-scale fraud schemes operating throughout the country," Attorney General Eric Holder said. "As today’s arrests prove, we are waging an aggressive fight against health care fraud.”

Three indictments charging the six defendants were unsealed Thursday in United States District Court in Los Angeles. The local charges are among cases filed in nine cities across the United States, charging a total of 111 defendants.

The defendants cumulatively are accused of being involved in nearly a quarter billion dollars worth of false billings submitted to Medicare.

"We will not tolerate criminals who pay kickbacks for referrals of Medicare business or who will bill for services that were medically unnecessary,” said Glenn R. Ferry, the Los Angeles Region’s Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services. “These actions are part of a coordinated, nationwide sweep in our continuing battle against greedy criminals who profit from exploiting federal health care programs.”


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