Fugitive
Ezechukwu Joshua Ohaka
| Fugitive Status | wanted |
|---|---|
| Charges | Health care fraud |
| Aliases | Dr. Joshua Ohaka |
| Amount of Arrears | $1,100,000 |
| Date of Birth | November 18, 1968 (56 years old) |
Or call the Fugitive Hotline: (888) 476-4453
Investigation Details
Ezechukwu Ohaka, along with co-conspirators, allegedly submitted more than $3.1 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for durable medical equipment (DME), according to a Federal indictment. The "gross proceeds of the fraud" allegedly totaled approximately $1.08 million, the indictment stated.
Through his Houston-based company, Luant & Odera, Inc., Ohaka and others allegedly billed for medically unnecessary power wheelchairs, motorized scooters, and wheelchair accessories that were either not medically necessary or were not provided. In some instances, Ohaka and others purportedly would bill Medicare for more expensive wheelchairs than they provided to beneficiaries.
The beneficiaries who received the scooters and wheelchairs had either not been to a doctor, did not have a prescription, as required by Medicare, and/or did not meet medical necessity requirements as defined by Medicare.
Falsely referring to himself as a doctor ("Dr. Joshua Ohaka"), Ohaka and co-conspirators targeted Medicare beneficiaries who were living in the paths of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Ohaka, originally from Nigeria, allegedly paid kickbacks to individuals to recruit Medicare beneficiaries so that Luant could file bogus claims with Medicare for DME.
- Health Care Fraud
