A Silver Spring man was sentenced to three years in federal prison for a Medicaid fraud scheme Tuesday, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Julius Bakari, 46, and his co-conspirators paid bribes and kickbacks to Medicaid beneficiaries to persuade them to visit Holy Health Care Services, LLC — a mental health services provider Bakari owned and operated in Washington, D.C.
Beginning in at least April 2017, the co-conspirators helped transport Medicaid beneficiaries, usually by van, to Holy Health’s North Capitol location, where they would be paid $5 or $10 in cash bribes to describe the payments as a transportation stipend.
Bakari and his co-conspirators billed the beneficiaries, many of whom were homeless, for mental health treatment services that Holy Health did not provide, according to allegations in an affidavit.
Bakari was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of the loss, $3,343,781, in addition to the sentence. His wife, Mboutchock Kabiwa or Eugenie Bakari, and Dominic Forka were also charged in connection with the scheme. Eugenie Bakari pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud in July 2023. Forka has been charged with health care kickbacks, conspiracy to receive unlawful kickbacks and health care fraud.
