Another health care fraud ring is facing justice. ICE announced that six people, plus Community Home Health Care, LLC, are charged in a $600,000 conspiracy to defraud MaineCare, Maine’s Medicaid program, by billing for personal care services that were never provided. The case followed an investigation by HSI New England and its Homeland Security Task Force partners.
Those arrested, according to ICE: Noora Abd, also known as Um Mohammed; Faysal Kalayaf Manahe, also known as Abu Aziz; Adel Al Rashid, also known as Abu Ayman; Sura Almohammed, also known as Um Ayman; Ethar Alyaseen; and Mohammed Alkhalaf, also known as Abu Stayf. Abd and Manahe were also charged with obstructing a health care fraud investigation, and Alkhalaf with making false statements.
Maine’s U.S. attorney said the company’s owner and five employees were under arrest. Prosecutors allege the company billed MaineCare for services never rendered as far back as 2020. “These individuals are accused of submitting fraudulent personal care services they never provided to clients and then pocketing those payments for personal gain,” according to the report ICE shared.
All six were due to be arraigned in federal court in Bangor. If convicted, each could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Medicaid money is meant for people who need care, not for schemes that pay for services nobody received. HSI is following the money, and the fraudsters are running out of places to hide.
