HOUSTON—Godwin Chiedo Nzeocha, 45, a
naturalized United States citizen originally from the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, has been returned to the United States to stand trial in a $45 million
health care fraud case, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced
today.
Nzeocha was charged October 19, 2009
with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, 39 counts of health care fraud,
three counts of mail fraud, and three counts of money laundering in relation to
his role in the City Nursing Services of Texas Inc. health care fraud
conspiracy.
Agents were unable to arrest Nzeocha
after he was charged in 2009. He was later arrested in Nigeria and arrived back
in Houston today. He is expected to make an initial appearance this morning
before U.S. Magistrate George C. Hanks, Jr., at which time the United States
will request he remain in federal custody pending further criminal proceedings.
According to the indictment, Nzeocha
signed patient file documents as the provider of physical therapy services he
was not qualified to provide and, according to evidence provided during trial
of his alleged co-conspirators, which were not, in fact, provided to Medicare
beneficiaries. The indictment also alleges Nzeocha handed out cash payments to
recruiters who brought Medicare beneficiaries to City Nursing and to Medicare
beneficiaries in return for signatures on blank patient treatment forms.
To date, five people have been convicted
in this massive health care fraud conspiracy, including City Nursing’s owner,
Umawa Oke Imo, who is now serving 27 years in prison.
Nzeocha faces up to 10 years in prison
and a $250,000 fine for each of the health care fraud, conspiracy to commit
health care fraud, and money laundering charges, upon conviction. A conviction
for mail fraud carries an additional maximum punishment of up to 20 years in
prison.
This case has been investigated by the
FBI, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Department of Health
and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, and the Texas Attorney
General’s Office-Medicare Fraud Control Unit. Special thanks is extended to the
Nigerian government and the Office of International Affairs in the Justice
Department’s Criminal Division, who provided assistance. Assistant United
States Attorney Julie Redlinger is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of
criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless
convicted through due process of law.
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