The United States government has declared two Nigerian men wanted in connection with separate alleged offences involving Medicare fraud and drug-related crimes.
One of them, 57-year-old Ezechukwu Joshua Ohaka, is wanted over an alleged healthcare fraud scheme in which he and his co-conspirators reportedly obtained approximately $1.08 million in illicit proceeds.
According to a statement by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Ohaka allegedly used his Houston-based company, Luant & Odera, Inc., to submit more than $3.1 million in fraudulent Medicare claims for durable medical equipment, including power wheelchairs, motorised scooters and wheelchair accessories.
Investigators alleged that the equipment billed to the government was either medically unnecessary or never supplied to the beneficiaries for whom the claims were submitted.
In some cases, beneficiaries reportedly received cheaper and inferior wheelchairs instead of the more expensive equipment for which Medicare was billed.
Authorities further alleged that some beneficiaries had not consulted doctors, did not have the prescriptions required under Medicare rules or failed to satisfy the programme’s medical necessity criteria.
The alleged scheme reportedly targeted Medicare beneficiaries who had lived in areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Some beneficiaries were allegedly recruited to participate in the fraudulent claims, with some receiving kickbacks.
The Department of Health and Human Services also alleged that Ohaka misrepresented his professional status by presenting himself as a doctor and using the title “Dr. Joshua Ohaka” while targeting beneficiaries.
According to the statement, a federal indictment accused Ohaka and his alleged co-conspirators of submitting more than $3.1 million in fraudulent claims. The estimated gross proceeds of the alleged fraud were put at approximately $1.08 million.
The allegations remain subject to the legal process, and an indictment does not by itself establish guilt.
In a separate case, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is seeking 57-year-old Nigerian Tayo Muyiwa Olukoya, also known as “Uncle,” over alleged drug-related offences.
According to the DEA, Olukoya is wanted in the Southern District of Indiana in connection with an alleged conspiracy to possess controlled substances with the intent to distribute them and to distribute controlled substances.
The agency’s description identifies Olukoya as a Black male with brown eyes. He is approximately 177 centimetres tall and weighs about 99 kilogrammes.
The two cases involve separate allegations investigated by different US authorities. Ohaka is linked to an alleged Medicare billing fraud scheme, while Olukoya is sought over alleged offences involving controlled substances.
Further details regarding the current status of the cases, the specific controlled substances involved in Olukoya’s case and the circumstances of the warrants were not provided in the information released.
