(The Center Square) – A home health company owner from Richmond, Texas, was sentenced to five years in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Akintunde Oyewale, 47, “operated Grace Healthcare Services LLC and paid medical clinics kickbacks in exchange for generating false home health certifications and patient referrals,” according to a June 13 news release. “Oyewale then billed government health care programs for home health services that were medically unnecessary and not actually provided to patients.”
Efforts by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Office of the Attorney General of Texas have led to the sentence.
Oyewale agreed to pay $1.4 million in restitution to Medicare.
“Oyewale admitted to using the fraudulently obtained funds for his personal financial benefit and for the benefit of his family members,” according to a May 30 news release.
Health care fraud schemes misuse taxpayer funds and undermine the integrity of the U.S. healthcare system. The OAG’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit brings individuals who exploit public health services for personal gain to justice.
“In Texas, Medicaid costs taxpayers over $40 billion,” according to the news release. “Federal and industry authorities estimate that fraud comprises up to 10 percent of the costs of the Medicaid program, making Medicaid fraud a $4 billion problem in Texas.”
The investigation was conducted by Sergeant Joyce Combest, Investigative Auditor Shen Wang, and Captain Rick McCollum of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, along with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General and the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Abdul Farukhi.
This article First appeared in the center square