A California woman was found guilty of nearly two dozen felonies for billing Medicare more than $24 million by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment — mostly power wheelchairs (PWC) — and PWC repairs, many of which were never performed. Tamara Yvonne Motley, 54, a.k.a. “Tamara Ogembe,” of Redondo Beach, was found guilty by a federal jury of 20 counts of healthcare fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to evidence presented at her five-day trial, from July 2006 to August 2014, Motley was the de facto owner of the Hawthorne-based Action Medical Equipment and Supplies. From January 2013 to November 2016, Motley was the de facto owner of the Ventura-based Kaja Medical Equipment & Supply. Both companies were enrolled with Medicare in the names of Motley’s out-of-state relatives. Over an eight-year period, Action billed Medicare more than $18.2 million for DME — most for PWCs, but also for PWC accessories, knee braces and back braces — and the repair or replacement of PWCs. Medicare paid Action nearly $10.3 million. Between July 2013 and November 2016, Kaja billed Medicare $6.3 million, primarily for PWC repairs. Medicare paid Kaja approximately $2.8 million for those claims.
