WASHINGTON, D.C. — Omolere Omomowo, 43, of Laurel, Maryland, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, along with five “community support workers” (CSWs), has been indicted on charges of defrauding the D.C. Medicaid program of over $10 million. The indictment, announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott, and D.C. Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas, accuses them of submitting fraudulent bills for non-existent or unnecessary mental health services.
Omomowo, arrested today in Fort Lauderdale, made his initial court appearance in the Southern District of Florida. Co-defendant Zilah Bessem, 36, of Frisco, Texas, was arrested at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and appeared in the Northern District of Texas, where she was detained pending trial. The remaining co-defendants—Gregory Clark of Washington, D.C., Ernest Ikomi of Beltsville, Maryland, Diane Mochi of Adelphi, Maryland, and Seraphine Nwufor of Bowie, Maryland—are expected to appear in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia next week.
The indictment alleges that Omomowo, while serving as chief financial officer of Prestige Healthcare Resources, began the conspiracy in early 2020. Prestige had received authorization from D.C.’s Department of Behavioral Health to start an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program, which provides intensive services to severely mentally ill adults. ACT services, billed at higher rates under Medicaid, became the focal point of the fraudulent scheme.
Omomowo and his co-conspirators allegedly escalated many clients from standard mental health services to the ACT program, submitting false assessments to justify the move. They billed Medicaid for unnecessary ACT services and services that did not occur. After leaving Prestige in April 2021 due to an employment dispute, Omomowo founded The Marcaulay Group and continued the fraud with former Prestige employees. Since Marcaulay was not certified for ACT services, Omomowo partnered with Affordable Home Healthcare LLC and Goshen Healthcare Management Services LLC, continuing the fraudulent billing practices.
The indictment details how Omomowo and his co-defendants manipulated Medicaid assessments and billing, grossly inflating service hours and submitting claims for unauthorized and non-existent services.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with significant investigative support from the FBI Washington Field Office and the D.C. Office of the Inspector General.