A North Texas physician must serve nearly 17 years in federal prison and repay $34 million in a healthcare services fraud case involving home visits.
Dr. Noble U. Ezukanma of Fort Worth was sentenced Wednesday in Dallas. Prosecutors say the 57-year-old Ezukanma was part of a more than $50 million Medicare fraud scheme.
The physician in March was convicted of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and six counts of healthcare fraud.
Prosecutors say a co-defendant, Myrna S. Parcon of Dallas, was sentenced last month to 10 years in prison and ordered to repay about $51 million in the scam involving Medicare beneficiaries.
Investigators say many patients were certified for home health care, whether they needed it or not, from 2009 through mid-2013.