On October 21, a Michigan pharmacist was sentenced to 80 months in prison for defrauding health care benefit programs by billing for prescription medications that he never dispensed.

According to court documents, Isaiah Okoh, 55, of Sterling Heights, billed health care benefit programs for prescription medications that he did not actually dispense to patients at three pharmacies in Michigan. From 2019 through 2022, Okoh and his co-conspirator sent false claims to health care benefit programs for prescription drugs that were not ordered by a doctor and were not dispensed to the patient. Okoh and his co-conspirator used forged prescriptions from doctors to hide their scheme, when in fact the patient had never seen the listed doctor and the medication had never actually been prescribed. Okoh and his co-conspirator caused over $6 million of loss to Medicare, Medicaid and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

In April 2025, Okoh pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. At sentencing, Okoh was ordered to pay $3,889,760 in restitution and $3,230,147 in forfeiture, including his interest in approximately $1.2 million of fraudulent proceeds seized by law enforcement in this matter.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department's Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Reuben Coleman of the FBI Detroit Field Office; and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.

FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Jeffrey A. Crapko and Ahmad Huda of the Criminal Division's Fraud Section prosecuted the case. The forfeiture proceedings are being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenton Craig Welkener Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.