A Houston-based home health agency owner was convicted of various counts of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraudand conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks for her role in a $13 million Medicare fraud scheme, according to the Department of Justice.
A federal jury in the Southern District of Texas convicted Marie Neba, owner of Houston-based Fiango Home Healthcare, of one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, three counts of healthcare fraud, one count of conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks, one count of payment and receipt of healthcare kickbacks, one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and one count of making false statements. Her husband, Ebong Tilong, was also convicted of various counts of healthcare fraud, according to DOJ officials.
According to evidence presented at trial, Ms. Neba, Mr. Tilong and others conspired to defraud Medicare by submitting more than $13 million in false and fraudulent claims. The two individuals were found to have paid illegal kickbacks to patient recruiters for referring Medicare beneficiaries for home health services. The two individuals also paid illegal kickbacks to Medicare beneficiaries for allowing them to bill Medicare and using their Medicare information to charge beneficiaries for medically unnecessary services, and falsified medical records to make it appear as though those services were necessary. The scheme reportedly lasted from February 2006 to June 2015.
Three additional individuals also plead guilty in connection wit the scheme. The five individuals all await sentencing.