Thread: 2 Pastors, Employee Guilty of $14.2 MILLION Medicare Fraud

Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Los Angeles Jury Convicts Two Church Pastors and Their Employee of $14.2 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

WASHINGTON – Two pastors of a now defunct Los Angeles church and a woman they employed at their fraudulent durable medical equipment (DME) supply companies were convicted late yesterday of conspiracy and health care fraud charges in connection with a $14.2 million Medicare fraud scheme, announced the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS).

After a two-week trial in federal court in Los Angeles, a jury found Christopher Iruke, 60; his wife, Connie Ikpoh, 49; and Aura Marroquin, 30, guilty of multiple charges. Iruke was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and 17 counts of health care fraud. Ikpoh and Marroquin were each found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and four counts of health care fraud. Marroquin was found not guilty of one count of health care fraud. According to evidence presented at trial, Iruke, Ikpoh and Marroquin billed Medicare for power wheelchairs, orthotics and other DME that were not medically necessary or never provided.

“Mr. Iruke and his wife were persistent and brazen in their efforts to steal millions from the Medicare program,â€

Oh, the things that are done "In The Name of The Lord" for greed and personal gain. This pastoral staff must have been trained by Congress.

Los Angeles Jury Convicts Two Church Pastors and Their Employee of $14.2 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/Augu ... -1031.html