Behavioral Health Counselor Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Medicaid

OKLAHOMA CITY – SAMUEL OKERE, 61, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to a year in prison for Medicaid fraud, announced Robert J. Troester of the United States Attorney’s Office and Mike Hunter, Oklahoma Attorney General.

Okere was a licensed professional counselor and owner of New Life Counseling Services.  On November 15, 2017, a federal grand jury charged him with 224 counts of defrauding the Oklahoma Health Care Authority through false claims for behavioral health counseling.  In particular, the indictment alleged that Okere billed for counseling sessions for multiple individuals, primarily children, at times when he could not have been counseling them.  For example, some of the times and dates billed were when clients were at school.  Others were when Okere was engaged in activities inconsistent with counseling, such as speaking on the phone with representatives of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority.

Okere pleaded guilty to health care fraud on April 3, 2018.

Today U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Okere to a year and a day in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.  Pursuant to his plea agreement, he has paid $141,545.16 in restitution to Medicaid.  A portion of the restitution will go to SoonerCare and a portion to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.  Judge Friot also ordered Okere to pay a fine of $10,000.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Maxfield Green and Assistant Oklahoma Attorney General Lory Dewey, who is also a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, are prosecuting the case.  Reference is made to court filings for further information.