US-Based Nigerian Sentenced To Six Years For €5.64 Million Medicaid Fraud
A Nigerian resident in the United States, Ifeanyi Ozoh, has been sentenced to 72 months in federal prison for his role in a million bribery and fraud scheme targeting Medicaid, a U.S. government insurance program.
The judgment, announced by U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani and published on the Department of Justice website on Wednesday, also mandates Ozoh to pay million in restitution to Medicaid and undergo three years of supervised release after his prison term.
Fraudulent Scheme
Ozoh, 54, was convicted of conspiring to pay and receive kickbacks to steer Medicaid-insured patients to a sham dental clinic, Floss Family Dentalcare Centre, in Houston, Texas. The scheme involved bribing marketers and parents to bring children covered by Medicaid to the clinic, which then billed the insurance program for services that were not provided.
Court Proceedings
Following a three-day trial, a federal jury found Ozoh guilty of all charges in February 2024 after just one hour of deliberation. U.S. District Chief Judge Randy Crane, who presided over the case, highlighted the overwhelming evidence of Ozoh’s guilt in delivering the sentence.
The court learned that between 2020 and 2021, Floss billed Medicaid for over million and received million in fraudulent payments. Ozoh had reportedly paid over in illegal kickbacks to marketers and received bonuses for meeting patient quotas.
Testimonies and Evidence
Marketers testified that Ozoh paid them between and per Medicaid-insured child referred to the clinic, often in secretive transactions. Payments were sometimes placed on top of vending machines to avoid detection. A clinic manager also testified that she warned Ozoh about the illegality of his actions.
Judgment and Restitution
The judgment permits Ozoh to remain on bond until he surrenders to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility, which will be determined in the coming weeks.
The case underscores the U.S. government’s commitment to combating healthcare fraud and preserving the integrity of public insurance programs.
