Justina Okehie, aka Dr. Tina Collins, of Richmond, Texas, has been sentenced to
federal prison for her role in a multi-million-dollar health care fraud scheme,
United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. Okehie pleaded guilty
October 27, 2011.
U.S. District Judge Nancy F. Atlas, taking into consideration Okehie’s
health as well as her cooperation with the government, handed her a 24-month
term of imprisonment and further ordered her to pay restitution in amount of
$1,894,938 to the Medicare Program and $258,893 to the Texas Medicaid program.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Atlas stated that “medicare fraud is the
worst around,” noting that Okehie lived her life by cheating the system and
living off this fraud. Okehie will also serve a two-year term of supervised
release following completion of her
prison sentence.
Okehie, 55, owned and operated Adom Rehabilitation Services and Healthcare
and Wellness Medical Center. Both facilities were located in the southwest part
of Houston and purportedly provided physical therapy and chiropractic services.
As part of the conspiracy, Okehie would pay patient recruiters (aka runners or
marketers) for referring Medicare beneficiaries to her clinics. Okehie also paid
remuneration to the Medicare beneficiaries to induce them to show up at her
clinics.
From January 2007 through August 2010, Okehie caused the submission of claims
to the Medicare and Medicare programs in excess of $8.5 million.
Judge Atlas previously sentenced co-defendants Cassandra Tasby Barnes, 48, of
Houston, and Melloneen Davis, 53, of Stafford, Texas, for their roles in a
conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute. Barnes and Davis each were
sentenced to three years’ probation and four months of home confinement. Each
were also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $42,052.48 to Medicare and
$8,338.68 to the Texas Medicaid Program.
This case was investigated by agents and investigators of the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, the Texas Attorney
General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, FBI, and the Railroad Retirement Board.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blan and Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie
Redlinger prosecuted this case.
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