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Three Texas Medical Professionals Convicted in Alleged $12.3 MM Medicare Fraud Case
A trio of Texas medical professionals were convicted by a federal jury of charges relating to a home health care fraud scheme in which federal prosecutors say they were involved.
Kelly Robinett, M.D., Kingsley Nwanguma, and Joy Ogwuegbu were convicted after a five-day trial in a Dallas courtroom last month upon evidence submitted by investigators that the three certified patients for medically unnecessary home health services, then billing Medicare for such services.
Per investigators, the group billed the government for several million dollars of fraudulent charges, then falsified medical records to cover for the fraudulent billing. They say the charges began 11 years ago, and culminating upon their arrest in 2015.
Federal prosecutors introduced evidence at trial they say showed Robinett, a 70-year-old doctor of osteopathic medicine, signed off on home health care services for individuals he never examined. Though prosecutors say the services were frequently not rendered, Ogwuegbu, a 42-year-old registered nurse, allegedly falsified nursing assignments, while Nwanguma, a 47-year-old licensed vocational nurse, allegedly falsified nursing notes, both of which were said to be used to show that the services for which they were billing Medicare were both necessary and carried out appropriately.
All in, the trio was convicted of billing Medicare over $12.3 million in fraudulent charges. Robinett and Nwanguma were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and three counts of health care fraud, while Ogwuegbu was found guilty of four counts of health care fraud. Sentencing of the three individuals has yet to be scheduled.
Robinett, Nwanguma, and Ogwuegbu join four other Texas defendants previously convicted of charges relating to the alleged conspiracy.
The Law Offices of Bjorn Brunvand have been representing people charged with capital murder, felony drug charges, drunk driving, government fraud, and white-collar crimes for over a quarter century. Contact our office today to discuss your Tampa Bay-area state or federal charges.
