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Federal: DME Storefront Accused of Health Care Fraud and Identity Theft

by Astrid Fiano, DOTmed News Writer | May 03, 2010
This report originally appeared in the April 2010 issue of DOTmed Business News

Mento Nnana Kaluanya has been indicted in the Southern District of Texas on charges of health care fraud and aggravated identity theft. The charges stem from a $3.9 million health care fraud scheme Kaluanya allegedly ran out of what federal authorities say was a false storefront durable medical equipment company in Derry, N.H.-HyCentral Medical Supplies and Equipment.

Kaluanya is accused of setting up the storefront in New Hampshire and submitting claims for Texas Medicare beneficiaries for DME not ordered nor prescribed by physicians, not medically necessary and not delivered to Medicare beneficiaries. The indictment also alleges aggravated identify theft, through claims that Kaluanya submitted to Medicare using without authorization Universal Provider Identification Numbers and National Provider Identification numbers of seven Medicare physicians.

Kaluanya received around $1.6 million from Medicare for allegedly fraudulent DME equipment claims. The possible punishment for the health fraud charges are up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release. Aggravated identity theft has a mandatory two-year-term of imprisonment. The defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty