An Eagan man has pleaded guilty to defrauding the state's Medicaid program out of more than $4 million by illegally operating four personal care assistant agencies.
Victor Nenghimobo Clement, 56, pleaded guilty to racketeering, theft by swindle, theft by false representation, concealing criminal proceeds, and engaging in business of concealing criminal proceeds, according to a new release from the Minnesota Attorney General's Office on Tuesday.
"I'm proud of all the staff in my office that have spent years holding this fraudster accountable and all Minnesotans can be grateful for the guilty plea they've won," Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a news release Tuesday.
Clement was already suspended by the Minnesota Department of Human Services from serving as a Medicaid provider when he operated four personal care assistant agencies between 2011-2015. In 2014, he was excluded from serving as a provider in any federally funded health care program, according to the release.
During that time, unknown to the government, he ran the agencies using family members and former employees of his previous company to be the "on-paper" owners of the agencies.
The fraud included having personal care assistants signing timesheets for work they didn't do, picking up checks from Clement and then cashing the checks and giving a portion back to him. Clement also used multiple other companies to conceal the money, all owned on paper by family members and former employees.
Clement will be sentenced by in Ramsey County District Court on Oct. 11. Clement was convicted of medical assistance fraud in a 2013 case, according to court records.
Alex Chhith • 612-673-4759
