Feds: Oakland Woman Convicted In Health Care Scam
OAKLAND (AP) -- An Oakland woman has been convicted of health care fraud for her role in a scam that involved billing Medicare for unneeded medical equipment.
Federal officials say 52-year-old Donna Wells was convicted Monday following a weeklong trial in Los Angeles.
The Oakland Tribune reports that Wells would convince low-income Oakland seniors to accept free power wheelchairs and other medical equipment they didn't need or want. In exchange, they let Wells copy their personal information.
Wells then sold the information to a Los Angeles clinic which made false prescriptions and sold them to supply companies that billed Medicare for more than $577,000. The owner of one company, Sylvester Ijewere, pleaded guilty to a fraud count and is serving prison time.
Wells faces up to 10 years in prison.
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