WASHINGTON – Two Houston-area nurses and two of their co-conspirators have been sentenced in Houston for their participation in a $5.2 million Medicare fraud scheme, announced the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Service (HHS).
- Mary Ellis, 56, a registered nurse, was sentenced today to 63 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $401,000 in restitution. Ellis was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to pay kickbacks, three counts of receiving illegal kickbacks and two counts of making false statements following a May 2011 trial.
- Caroline Njoku, 46, also a registered nurse, was sentenced yesterday to 63 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release and was ordered to pay $631,295 in restitution. Njoku was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to pay kickbacks following a May 2011 trial.
Terrie Porter, 48, was sentenced yesterday to two years in prison and two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $482,380 in restitution. Porter was convicted of one count of conspiracy to receive kickbacks and one count of receiving illegal kickbacks following a May 2011 trial. - Florida Holiday Island, 62, was sentenced yesterday to 20 days in prison, five months of home detention and two and a half years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $59,739 in restitution. Island pleaded guilty in March 2011 to one count of conspiracy to receive kickbacks and one count of receiving illegal kickbacks.
