A former Nigerian senator’s wife, Tamara Ogembe been sentenced to 22 years in prison by a United States federal court for healthcare fraud and money laundering.
The 45-year-old Tamara Ogembe, wife of ex-Senator Ahmed Ogembe that represented Kogi Central Senatorial District from 2015 to 2019 at the Senate was found guilty in June 2023 on 20 counts of healthcare fraud, 2 counts of aggravated identity theft, and 1 count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Prosecutors revealed that from 2006 to 2014, Mrs. Ogembe was the de facto owner of a medical equipment company named Action Medical Equipment and Supplies based in Hawthorne, California. From 2013 to 2016, she also owned another company Kaja Medical Equipment & Supply in Ventura.
The companies were used to defraud Medicare by submitting claims for unnecessary durable medical equipment like power wheelchairs and repairs that were never done. Over 8 years, Action Medical billed Medicare over $18 million while Kaja billed $6.3 million.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. sentenced Mrs. Ogembe to 20 years for healthcare fraud, and 2 years consecutively for identity theft, amounting to a total of 22 years in federal prison. She has also been ordered to pay full restitution.
Senator Ahmed Ogembe has denied any knowledge or involvement in his wife’s fraudulent schemes.
The case demonstrates the U.S. government’s commitment to prosecuting healthcare fraud, including by relatives of foreign politicians.
