Pastor Caught Defrauding Medicare for $12M

A California church pastor is going to be admiring the inside of a federal prison for the next seven years.

Charles Agbu, 58, pleaded guilty last December to one count each of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and money laundering, according to the Department of Justice, which also prosecuted his daughter.

Carson pastor Charles Agbu

Agbu, who had served as pastor of Pilgrim Congregational Church in South Los Angeles, admitted he submitted fraudulent claims for highly specialized power wheelchairs and other equipment through a medical supply company he owned and operated, prosecutors said. …

According to court documents, Agbu and co-conspirators submitted about $12 million in false claims to Medicare and pocketed nearly $6 million on those claims. He also admitted laundering cash when he transferred more than $10,000 of the illicit Medicare funds between various bank accounts, prosecutors said.