Six Sentenced in Healthcare Fraud Conspiracy that Stole $10 Million from Medicaid Over Six-Year Period

LYNCHBURG, Va. - Six defendants, who stole upwards of $10 million from the Virginia Medicaid system over a six-year period by submitting false claims on behalf of 1^st Adult N Pediatric Healthcare Services for services that were never provided, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Lynchburg.

The three owners of 1^st Adult N Pediatric, Carolyn Bryant-Taylor, 61, of Clinton, Md., Kafomdi Josephine Okocha, 50, of Upper Marlboro, Md., and Samuel Okocha, 52, of Upper Marlboro, Md., were sentenced today.

Bryant Taylor was sentenced to 120 months, Josephine Okocha was sentenced to 96 months, and Samuel Okocha was sentenced to 72 months.

Three additional defendants in the healthcare fraud conspiracy were also sentenced.

Eno Utuk, 49, of Fredericksburg, Md., Elizabeth Ilome, 43, of Fredericksburg, Md., and Shekita Gore, 41, of Clinton, Md., were each sentenced to probation.

The district court also directed the defendants to pay restitution totaling $10 million to Virginia Medicaid.

"This United States Attorney's Office will hold accountable those who commit healthcare fraud and steal from hardworking Americans," Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. "I commend the FBI and the Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for their diligent work in bringing these individuals to justice and protecting hardworking Virginians."

"These sentences make clear that fraud against federally funded programs is theft from the American people. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure those who steal taxpayer funds are held accountable," said Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Richmond Division.

According to court documents, Bryant-Taylor, Josephine Okocha, and Samuel Okocha were owners and operators of 1st Adult N Pediatric Healthcare Service, a Medicaid-enrolled home health agency providing private duty nursing, personal care, and respite care services throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, including in the Western District of Virginia. Gore was the director of nursing, while Utuk and Ilome were employed by 1st Adult to provide nursing and personal care.

The defendants conspired to submit false claims to Medicaid for services that were not provided to patients, including falsifying records and documentation in support of the fraudulent claims submitted for reimbursement.

As part of this scheme, between 2017 and 2023, Bryant-Taylor and her co-defendant, Josephine Okocha, planned arrangements to pay the parents or guardians of patients in exchange for blank, signed nursing notes which would be filled out and used to support billing to Medicaid. In these arrangements, the amount billed to Medicaid either reflected nursing services that were not provided at all, or an amount of nursing services that was in excess of what was provided.

The conspirators have acknowledged the actual loss to the Medicaid program from 1^st Adult's improved billing was $10,000,000.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Virginia Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit are investigating the case, with assistance from the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Jones and Laura Taylor, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Terry, a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General's Office, are prosecuting the case.