Owners of Home Health Company Plead Guilty to Health Care Fraud
| U.S. Attorney’s Office September 06, 2012 |
COLUMBUS—Yasin M. Warsame, 45, of Westerville, and Amir Abdi Ahmed, 47, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to billing the Ohio Medicaid Program through their company, Damal Home Care Services, for approximately 1,500 skilled nursing home visits that never occurred.
Carter M. Stewart, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine; Edward Hanko, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cincinnati Field Division (FBI); and Lamont Pugh, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS), announced the pleas entered today before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
According to a statement of facts presented during the hearing, Warsame and Ahmed submitted the bills on behalf of Damal between February 2010 and December 2010 and were paid $81,092.22. The patient files for which they billed had no documentation that the services were provided, nor was there any indication in the company’s nursing service logs that services had been rendered.
Each man pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, three years of supervised release, and restitution. Judge Sargus will set a date for sentencing.
“Individuals or health care company employees who suspect fraud against government health insurance programs can report them anonymously online at www.stopmedicarefraud.gov, or by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477),” U.S. Attorney Stewart said.
People can also report suspected Medicaid fraud to Attorney General DeWine’s office by calling 1-800-282-0515 or visiting www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Affeldt and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Nearhood with Ohio Attorney General DeWine’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The investigation was conducted by special agents of the FBI, HHS-OIG, and the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.