Aug. 3 – A 55-year-old Denton County, Texas, nurse, has been sentenced to federal prison for health care fraud violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales.
Florence Kroma, a/k/a Florence Kamara, a/k/a Florence Koroma, a/k/a Florence Bangura, 55, of Denton, Texas, was found guilty by a jury of nine counts of health care fraud following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone in December, 2015. She was sentenced today to 97 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $775,099.09 to Medicare.
According to information presented in court, Kroma, a registered nurse, owned and operated Mt. Zion Home Health Agency in Denton, Texas. From April 2008 to October 2013, Kroma carried out a scheme to defraud Medicare through the submission of false and fraudulent claims for skilled nursing services which were not provided and which were not authorized by the patients’ physicians. At times, Kroma submitted claims for services which she allegedly provided when she was out of state. At other times, Kroma submitted claims for services which she allegedly provided to patients who testified that they did not know her and had never heard of her company. Kroma was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 11, 2015.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Department of State.
Any individuals with knowledge of these or other health care fraud violations are encouraged to contact the Department of Health and Human Services’ fraud hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (447-8477)
SOURCE: U.S.A.O., Eastern District of Texas