Houston Republic

A Houston man has been sentenced to 72 months in federal prison for his involvement in a healthcare kickback scheme. Ifeanyi Ozoh, 54, was convicted of conspiring to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks after a federal jury deliberated for an hour following a three-day trial. U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced the conviction.

U.S. District Chief Judge Randy Crane also ordered Ozoh to pay $4.9 million in restitution to Medicaid and serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. The court noted that there was overwhelming evidence of Ozoh's guilt presented at trial.

Ozoh worked at Floss Family Dentalcare Center from January 2020 to February 2021, where he bribed marketers and parents to bring Medicaid-insured children to the clinic under false pretenses. He paid marketers between $20 and $100 per child referred, often using cash payments made discreetly.

The court heard testimony from a clinic manager who warned Ozoh about the illegality of paying marketers, as well as from other witnesses who described how he conducted these transactions secretly.

Floss billed Medicaid over $6 million during this period, receiving more than $4 million based on claims that were largely fraudulent due to the kickback scheme.

During the trial, it was emphasized that Medicaid prohibits kickbacks for medical service referrals. Despite his conviction, Ozoh is allowed to remain on bond until he surrenders voluntarily to a designated U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.

The investigation involved the FBI, Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Olson and Lauren Valenti led the prosecution.