U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
OFFICE OF THE U.S. ATTORNEY
DISTRICT OF MINNESOTA


PRESS RELEASE.  Tuesday, October 28, 2003

Contact: Thomas B. Heffelfinger, United States Attorney (612) 664-5600
Karen Bailey, Media Coordinator (612) 664-5610
John Marti, Assistant United States Attorney (612) 664-5600
Elizabeth Peterson, Assistant United States Attorney (612) 664-5600


St. Paul, MN -   Harry Kwabena Ossei, the owner of two health care businesses in Washington County, was sentenced today in United States District Court for fraud and filing a false tax return.  Ossei, age 44, from Oakdale, was sentenced to 12 months in prison and three years supervised release. Judge Richard Kyle also ordered Ossei to pay restitution in the amount of $255,608.

Ossei owned Oakdale, MN based Midwest Home Health Care Systems, Inc., a home health care provider, and Midwest Health Care Systems, Inc., a personal care agency.

During his guilty plea hearing in June 2003, Ossei admitted that beginning in January 1996 and continuing until about 2001, he defrauded Medicare of $255,608 by submitting false and fraudulent documents that represented non-Medicare expenses as legitimate Medicare expenses.

Ossei also admitted to willfully filing a false tax return in October 1998.  Ossei admitted paying himself approximately $90,552 from his businesses which was not reported as income on his tax return.  As a result, Ossei understated his tax due and owing by $29,980.

The case is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.  Assistant United States Attorney John Marti prosecuted the case.

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