Oakdale man pleads guilty in health care insurance fraud scheme

Two dozen people have now been convicted or pleaded guilty in connection to a health care insurance fraud scheme in the Twin Cities metro area after an Oakdale man pleaded guilty Tuesday.

According to the United States Department of Justice, 38-year-old Okwuchukwu Jidoefor has pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. He will be sentenced late next month.

Prosecutors allege Jideofor participated in the scheme, which defrauded automobile insurance companies by recruiting patients, staging accidents and receiving illegal kickbacks.

The Department of Justice says Jidoefor’s role was to be a “runner,” adding he solicited people who had been in crashes to attend treatments at co-conspirator clinics.

Those clinics included Morrow Accident Rehabilitation Center, Meyer Injury Center and Healthcare Chiropractic.

Prosecutors say a total of 26 people have been charged in the investigation, which covered seven different chiropractic practices.