HOUSTON - Two Houston residents are set to appear on allegations in an $8.7 million fraud scheme connected to a home health company they jointly owned and operated, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Caroline Zamora, 63, and Rommel Zamora, 59, are set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew M. Edison at 2 p.m.
The indictment, returned March 1, alleges the Zamoras owned and operated 24/7 Stat Care Home Health Services Inc. aka Parkway Healthcare Services. From approximately February 7, 2014 through November 9, 2018, the couple allegedly conspired to pay illegal cash kickbacks to Medicare patients to sign up for home health services with Parkway. The Zamoras are also alleged to have conspired to pay kickbacks to doctors to certify and refer patients for home health who did not qualify.
The indictment further alleges the Zamoras fraudulently billed Medicare for home health services that were not provided or for patients who did not qualify for such services. Parkway billed Medicare $8.7M and was paid $6.7M, according to the indictment.
If convicted, both face up to 10 years in prison on each count of health care fraud in addition to another five years for the conspiracy. All counts also carry as possible punishment a maximum $250,000 fine.
The Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General and the FBI conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Abdul Farukhi is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys