Gwinnett Couple Sentenced in $1.4M Medicaid Fraud Case

An unemployed person who stole some food would go to jail. Doctors who steal more $1.4 million ($1,407,325.50) get work release and probation.

http://patch.com/georgia/lilburn/gwinnett-couple-sentenced-14m-medicaid-fraud-case

By Scott Bernarde (Patch Staff) March 11, 2015

A Gwinnett County couple pleaded guilty to Medicaid fraud, but will avoid prison time, the Georgia Attorney General’s Office announced.

Olufemi Afuape and Oluyemisi Afuape, both of Lilburn, pleaded guilty to single counts of Medicaid fraud and conspiracy to defraud the state in a scheme that submitted $1.4 million in fraudulent claims, the office said in a news release.

Oluyemisi Afuape, the wife, was sentenced to three years house arrest. Olufemi Afuape was sentenced to three years work release at the Gwinnett Detention Center, followed by 12 years of probation.

They were ordered to pay $1,407,325.50 in restitution to the Georgia Department of Community Health.

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Afuapes billed the children’s Medicaid numbers for physical, occupational and speech therapy without regard to whether the services were medically necessary and without regard to whether the services were actually delivered. Children genuinely in need of therapy did not receive services and children who did not require therapy services nevertheless had their Medicaid numbers billed for therapy on a daily basis.

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