Fort Bend County home health owner charged with copying and pasting doctor signatures

HOUSTON, TX -- A 60-year-old Richmond man is now in custody on charges of making false statements in his scheme to defraud Medicare, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Paul Njoku is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray at 2 p.m.

The five-count indictment, returned Feb. 3, alleges Njoku made false statements relating to health care matters by copying and pasting doctor and nurse signatures onto patient paperwork.

According to the charges, Njoku owned and operated Opnet Healthcare Services Inc. doing business as P&P Healthcare Services. Medicare had made several requests to them seeking supporting documentation for billed claims. In response, Njoku allegedly falsified patient treatment notes and home health certification paperwork by copying and pasting the signatures of a doctor and a nurse.

Each conviction of making false statements relating to health care matters carries a possible five-year term of imprisonment and a maximum $250,000 fine.

The Department of Health and Human Services ? Office of Inspector General, FBI and Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Abdul Farukhi is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is an accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.