United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

LOCAL HOME HEALTH CARE AGENCY OWNER INDICTED

DALLAS — A federal grand jury in Dallas has returned an indictment charging Irene Anderson, 44, of Wylie, Texas, the owner of a home health care agency, with various felony offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Anderson is charged with one count of unlawful procurement of naturalization, one count of making a false statement to a government agency, and one count of mail fraud and aiding and abetting. She has been in custody since her arrest on April 18, 2008, on related charges filed in a federal criminal complaint.

Count one of the indictment alleges that Anderson falsely applied for naturalization in 2005, misrepresenting in her application filed with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service that her true name was “Iya Etim Edwards.” The indictment also alleges that she listed a false date of birth on the application.

The second count of the indictment alleges that from February 10, 2005, to March 9, 2005, Irene Anderson made materially false statements to a government agency, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, by using the false name of “Iya E. Edwards” when applying for a Medicare provider number for her home health company, New Dimension Healthcare Services.

Count three of the indictment alleges that Anderson’s fraudulent application to Medicare for a provider number caused Medicare to mail her a letter acknowledging approval of her application, which ultimately resulted in the payment of $1.188 million of claims billed by her home health company.

The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation which would require Anderson, upon conviction, to forfeit to the U.S. any proceeds obtained through the false statement and mail fraud offenses.

An indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. However, if convicted on all counts, Anderson faces a maximum statutory sentence of 35 years in prison, a $750,000 fine and restitution.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the excellent investigative work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Miller is prosecuting the case.

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