A former California healthcare executive has been arrested at San Francisco International Airport while trying to board a flight to Nigeria, accused of defrauding the US Department of Veterans Affairs out of $7 million.
Cashmir Chinedu Luke, 66, was the chief executive of Four Corners Health LLC, which provided in-home nursing services for elderly veterans across several California counties. However, prosecutors say he submitted over 10,000 fake reimbursement requests to the VA between December 2019 and July 2024, claiming days when caregivers weren't present, hours of work by non-existent staff members, and even false claims for deceased veterans.
According to investigators, Luke personally reaped the benefits of this scheme, lavishing on personal expenses and siphoning funds through a network of Asian and African bank accounts. His lavish spending is believed to have been funded by the millions he stole from the VA program.
If convicted, Luke faces up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000. The arrest is seen as another example of the growing number of healthcare executives being held accountable for schemes that bilk government programs out of billions of dollars.
Cashmir Chinedu Luke, 66, was the chief executive of Four Corners Health LLC, which provided in-home nursing services for elderly veterans across several California counties. However, prosecutors say he submitted over 10,000 fake reimbursement requests to the VA between December 2019 and July 2024, claiming days when caregivers weren't present, hours of work by non-existent staff members, and even false claims for deceased veterans.
According to investigators, Luke personally reaped the benefits of this scheme, lavishing on personal expenses and siphoning funds through a network of Asian and African bank accounts. His lavish spending is believed to have been funded by the millions he stole from the VA program.
If convicted, Luke faces up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000. The arrest is seen as another example of the growing number of healthcare executives being held accountable for schemes that bilk government programs out of billions of dollars.
this guy Cashmir Chinedu Luke sounds like a total scumbag, but I mean what's up with these fake reimbursement requests? Like 10,000 fake claims? That's crazy! 
I guess you could say he really knew how to take advantage of the system, but at the same time, that's just sickening. 
And $7 million is a lot of money, dude... I'm not sure if I'd be able to spend it all in one place, haha. But seriously, 10 years in prison isn't enough for this guy, IMHO 
and fines? That's just the icing on the cake... or should I say, the financial penalty 
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. it's like, what were they thinking? $7 million is life-changing money for some people but for the VA program, it's devastating 
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that's like me getting on a plane to Hawaii and hiding my passport because i'm trying to sneak out of paying my taxes 
anyway i guess it just goes to show how many corrupt people are in power and how easy it is for them to get caught 
But still, it's like, you can't just break the law and get away with it, no matter what your situation is. The VA program is supposed to be helping people, not some wealthy guy lining his own pockets... I guess what really gets me is that he could've been using that money to help actual veterans who need in-home care, instead of splurging on personal expenses and foreign bank accounts 
... like i'm reading about this exec who's just a cog in a system, right? a system that's supposed to help people but is also ripe for abuse 
... anyway, it's just another reminder that with great power comes great responsibility 
its crazy how these types of scams can happen in any industry, not just healthcare 
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it's crazy how some people can so callously exploit a system designed to help others just for personal gain 
. what's even crazier is that he got rich off the backs of our veterans 
. we need more people like this former executive being held accountable for their actions 
. I feel bad for the veterans who were supposed to get help, but instead they're being taken advantage of. This is why accountability needs to be key in these types of situations 
. It's not just about the money, it's about the principle and doing what's right.
anyway, I think it's wild that he got caught trying to leave the country, that's some sneaky stuff right there... also, why do people even try to escape like that? don't they know law enforcement has global reach now 
. its just not right when people like him think they can just take advantage of others' suffering for their own gain 
. i hope he gets a good long sentence, 10 yrs sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me 
. The fact that he was able to get away with this for so long is even more disturbing. It just goes to show that when we're not paying attention, people can take advantage of systems and hurt those who need our help most. We need to make sure that we have strong checks in place to prevent something like this from happening again 