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Laurel Resident Pleads Guilty To Medicaid Fraud

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A man who prosecutors say submitted Medicaid claims for power wheelchairs when he only provided basic models has pleaded guilty to health-care fraud.

Uche Ben Odunzeh, 31, of Laurel entered the plea Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Washington. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison at sentencing on Jan. 16 and has agreed to pay more than $277,000 in restitution.

According to a statement of offense, Odunzeh was the sole owner of Emerald Medical Services. Prosecutors say Emerald Medical submitted 100 claims to the District of Columbia's Medicaid program for power wheelchairs.

Those claims were for power wheelchairs, but Emerald Medical provided only more basic, less expensive wheelchairs.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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