2 Delco Residents Caught In Nationwide Health Care Fraud Takedown

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — Two people from Delaware County have been charged in connection with a nationwide health care fraud takedown, according to federal authorities.

United States Attorney William M. McSwain said Steven J. Valentino, 63, of Haverford and Michele Miller, 51, of Swarthmore, have been charged with conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks, and paying and receiving kickbacks.

Additionally, Leah Afolabi, 46, a pharmacy owner of Missouri City, Texas, was also charged alongside Valentino and Miller.

The charges stem from a multi-year scheme involving injured federal workers and Medicare beneficiaries wherein kickbacks were paid to induce the prescribing of medications that were filled by a Houston-based pharmacy, authorities said

Specifically, Afolabi paid kickbacks to Valentino and Miller for the referral of prescriptions for medications written by Valentino to Department of Labor-Office Workers’ Compensation Program claimants and Medicare beneficiaries, according to authorities. Department of Labor-Office Workers’ Compensation Program and Medicare were billed about $2.5 million and paid out approximately $1.1 million during the course of this scheme, authorities said.

These three were are among 345 total charges in the takedown.

More than 100 doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals from 51 federal districts have been snared in the takedown, authorities said.

All 345 defendants have been charged with submitting more than $6 billion in alleged fraudulent claims to federal health care programs and private insurers, connected to topics such as telemedicine, substance abuse treatment facilities, and illegal opioid distribution schemes.

This is the largest health care fraud and opioid enforcement action in U.S. Department of Justice history, according to authorities.