Glenview Health Care Biz Owner Faces Federal Fraud Charges

A home health care company owner from Glenview has been indicted on allegations that he engaged in a fraud scheme involving payment of more than $1.1 million in cash kickbacks to various health professionals in exchange for the referral of Medicare patients to his business, federal law enforcement officials announced Wednesday.

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Ten defendants, including Nixon Encinares, 43, were charged in a 42-count indictment with conspiracy to offer and pay kickbacks to doctors, social workers and a registered nurse in exchange for Medicare patient referrals between 2005 and 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Three physicians were charged with conspiracy to solicit and receive kickbacks from Encinares and his business partner Maria Buendia in exchange for referring Medicare patients to Grand Home Health Care, Inc., 7435 West Belmont Ave. 

“The payment of kickbacks in the healthcare arena is illegal. Kickbacks inappropriately influence those involved in the medical decision-making process and often times result in medically unnecessary or poor quality services being provided,” said Lamont Pugh III, special agent-in-charge of the Chicago region of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “As evidenced by today’s indictments, the OIG and our law enforcement partners will not stand by and allow Medicare beneficiaries to be used as pawns for profit.”

Each count of the medical anti-kickback statute carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Northern Illinois. 

All 10 defendants will be arraigned at later dates in U.S. District Court.