Texas prosecutors announced the sentencing April 25, 2023, of two home health company owners convicted of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and engaging in the illegal payment and receipt of health care kickbacks.
Joseph Nwankwo, 59, of Houston, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison and Stacey Ajaja, 51, of Richmond, Texas, was sentenced to a 14-month term. Upon completion of their prison sentences, both individuals will serve three years of supervised release. Nwankwo is also mandated to pay $1,218,615 in restitution to Medicare, and Ajaja has been ordered to pay $238,164.
The pair, who co-owned Hefty Healthcare Services, Inc., secured patient referrals by paying illegal kickbacks to marketers and patients and then fraudulently billed Medicare for services, according to a news release. Nwankwo was also convicted of bribing a physician to authorize medically unnecessary home health care services.