Houston Man Indicted for East Texas Patient Information Trafficking Scheme

BEAUMONT, TX—U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced that a 43-year-old Houston businessman has been indicted and arrested in a health care fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas.

Lodrick “Chidi” Eneh was indicted by a federal grand jury on Jan. 5, 2011, and charged with conspiracy to pay and receive illegal remunerations. Eneh was arrested on Jan. 12, 2011 and made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith F. Giblin on Mar. 2, 2011.

According to the indictment, from September 2006 until November 2008, Eneh conspired to pay and receive kickbacks for the referral of Medicare patients. Eneh entered into arrangements with Anthony Nnadi, Chima Imoh, and John Nasky Okonkwo, owners of medical supply businesses, in which he agreed to provide them with patient information that would be used to submit claims to Medicare. After the business owners submitted claims to Medicare and were reimbursed, they would split a percentage of the proceeds with Eneh. Federal law makes it illegal to traffic in patient information.

Nnadi, Imoh, and Nasky have all pleaded guilty to health care fraud offenses. Nnadi and Nasky await sentencing on the charges. On Jan. 5, 2011, Imoh was sentenced to a five-year term of probation, 120 days of house arrest, and ordered to pay $56,000 in restitution to Medicare for his role in the scheme.

If convicted, Eneh faces up to five years in federal prison for each count of conspiracy.

The investigation leading to the charges was conducted by agents from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Texas Office of the Attorney General - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (OAG-MFCU), and the FBI. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld is prosecuting this case.

An indictment is not evidence of guilt and all defendants are presumed innocent until convicted in a court of law.