A 47-year-old woman who owned and operated three home health care companies in central Ohio has been convicted of Medicaid fraud in federal court.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio announced that Sally Njume-Tatsing, a former Pickerington resident, was found guilty of one count of health care fraud and 12 counts of making false health statements. Njume-Tatsing was indicted on the 13 charges in June 2023.
She faces significant prison time, with the health care fraud charge carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, while each count of false health statements could result in up to five years.
As the owner of Labelle Home Health, which had locations in Reynoldsburg, Mt. Vernon, and Parma, Ohio, Njume-Tatsing was central to Medicaid billing operations. Despite residing in California for much of the time she ran the business, she played a direct role in submitting Medicaid claims for nursing services.
Njume-Tatsing was accused of falsifying records by inflating the hours of service provided to patients, billing for registered nurses who did not perform the work, and charging Medicaid for services rendered to deceased or ineligible patients.
This conviction highlights the risks of engaging in fraudulent practices within the health care system and the consequences of exploiting Medicaid for financial gain.