HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Federal authorities have unveiled a significant fraud case involving three women from the Houston area, who allegedly conned the U.S. government out of more than $80 million through Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement schemes.
The indictment includes Dera Ogudo, the proprietor of United Palliative & Hospice Care (UPHC), alongside her employee Victoria Martinez and Evelyn Shaw, who works at a psychiatric hospital.
Prosecutors claim that Ogudo, in collusion with her family members and co-conspirators, managed several group homes that catered to elderly, disabled, and mentally ill Medicare beneficiaries in the Houston vicinity. According to court documents, these individuals were allegedly enrolled in hospice services by UPHC, despite not being terminally ill.
Over the course of seven years, the accused purportedly amassed approximately $87 million in illegitimate kickbacks, making Ogudo remarkably affluent. Authorities have seized multiple high-value properties linked to her, one of which is a multimillion-dollar estate located in a gated Richmond community, alongside an additional property and a vacant lot in the Cypress area.
Attempts by ABC13 to locate Ogudo at her listed address proved inconclusive, as a man residing at the property claimed no knowledge of her whereabouts.
Documents from the indictment spotlight the alleged exploitation of vulnerable individuals living in group homes. Critics have described instances wherein Ogudo would distribute adult diapers and other care supplies to various senior facilities, subsequently billing the government for hospice services that were never provided.
Should the trio be found guilty on all 28 charges, they could each face substantial prison sentences adding up to decades behind bars.
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