Three former employees of 1st Adult N Pediatric Healthcare, including the director of nursing, pleaded guilty to charges related to healthcare fraud and misprision in federal court in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Shekita Gore, also known as Shekita Steele, from Clinton, Maryland, and Eno Utuk from Stafford, Virginia, admitted guilt to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud. Each faces a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Elizabeth Ilome, also from Stafford, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony and could face up to three years in prison.
These recent pleas follow those by Carolyn Bryant-Taylor of Clinton, Maryland; Kafomdi “Josephine” Okocha; and Samuel Okocha of Upper Marlboro, Maryland. All previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Court documents state that Bryant-Taylor, Josephine Okocha, and Samuel Okocha owned and operated 1st Adult N Pediatric Healthcare Service. The agency was enrolled with Medicaid and provided private duty nursing as well as personal care services throughout Virginia. Gore served as the director of nursing while Utuk and Ilome were employed for patient care services.
The group conspired to submit false claims for reimbursement from Medicaid by billing for services that were not actually rendered. This included falsifying records and documentation supporting the fraudulent claims.
Gore acknowledged filling out blank nursing notes used as support for billing Medicaid for unprovided services. Between 2017 and 2023, Bryant-Taylor and Josephine Okocha arranged payments with parents or guardians of patients in exchange for signed blank nursing notes that would later be filled out falsely for billing purposes. In these cases, either no services were provided or fewer services were given than claimed.
Utuk and Ilome admitted paying cash to family members in exchange for their signatures on blank notes used in fraudulent Medicaid billings.
Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci for the Western District of Virginia announced the pleas alongside Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Farina of the FBI’s Richmond Division.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) together with the Virginia Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The United States Department of Health and Human Services is providing assistance.
Prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Jones and Laura Taylor along with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Terry from the Virginia Attorney General’s Office.
