Pinoy couple in Chicago indicted over $45-M 'scam,' forced labor

A Filipino couple in Chicago was recently indicted over an alleged $45-million fraud scheme and for attempting to force a Filipino woman to work as their housekeeper against her will.
A statement from the US Attorney's Office in Illinois identified the two as Richard and Maribel Tinimbang.
Richard, 38, was charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud national social insurance program Medicare, one count of conspiracy to pay or receive health care kickbacks, two counts of paying kickbacks to induce referrals of Medicare beneficiaries, one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of conspiracy to obtain forced labor, and one count of presenting false statements in an immigration document.
On the other hand, Maribel, 40, was charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud Medicare, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to obtain forced labor.
The US Attorney's Office, however, reminded the public that an "indictment is not evidence of guilt" and the accused are "presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt."
A report on The Chicago Sun Times said the couple used three Lincolwood-based home healthcare companies—Donnarich Home Health Care, Inc., Josdan Home Health Care Inc., and Pathways Home Health Services LLC—to amass $45 million from 2008 to 2014.
According to prosecutors, the health companies "paid bribes and kickbacks in exchange for referring elderly and disabled patients for treatment that was funded by Medicare; ignored doctors who refused to certify beneficiaries as being in need of in-home treatment; and falsified medical records to make patients appear sicker than they actually were."
Patients First Physical Therapy Inc., Richard and Maribel's company, allegedly then "billed itself as providing in-home therapy services to patients of the three companies" and concealed the money through personal purchases and by listing them as business expenses.
The Tinimbangs were also accused of attempting to force a Filipino they sponsored to sign a "servitude contract," The Chicago Tribune reported.
Richard reportedly promised to hire the woman as a business analyst for $50,000 a year but employed her as a full-time nanny and housekeeper with a daily rate of $66 instead.
The Tinimbang's then allegedly attempted to force the woman to sign a seven-year "servitude contract" that would require her to pay $25,000 in damages should she quit before her term ended.
No date has been set for the trial of the couple. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News
- See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/562552/news/pinoyabroad/pinoy-couple-in-chicago-indicted-over-45-m-scam-forced-labor#sthash.2E0qEN6e.dpuf

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more