Medical Supply Owner Guilty of Health Care Fraud
Posted/updated on: June 5, 2011 at 6:24 pm
TYLER – A 51-year-old Tyler man has pleaded guilty to federal health care fraud charges. Nicodemus Udofia pleaded guilty on May 31 to health care fraud and illegal remunerations charges before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith K. Guthrie.
According to information presented in court, from 2006 to 2008, Udofia, the owner of a medical equipment business in Tyler, submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid for medical equipment and supplies which were not provided to beneficiaries. As a result of these claims, Udofia unlawfully obtained more than $50,000 from Medicare and Medicaid. Udofia also offered to pay illegal remunerations, or cash kickbacks, in exchange for patient information that he could use to submit claims to Medicare and Medicaid.
Udofia was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 3, 2010. Udofia faces up to 10 years in federal prison at sentencing. A sentencing date has not been set.
