By Peter Omopo
A Nigerian-born chief executive of a California home healthcare company, Cashmir Chinedu Luke, has been arrested in the United States for allegedly orchestrating a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme targeting military veterans under federal care.
Luke, 66, was taken into custody at the San Francisco International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Nigeria, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Federal prosecutors allege that Luke fraudulently obtained over $7 million from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by billing for healthcare services that were never provided. The criminal complaint claims that his company, Four Corners Health LLC, submitted thousands of false claims, including charges for care purportedly delivered to veterans weeks after they had died.
Court documents reveal that between December 2019 and July 2024, Luke operated Four Corners Health LLC from Antioch, California. The company was contracted to provide unskilled in-home nursing and daily living assistance to elderly veterans across Fresno, Tulare, and Merced counties under the Veterans Community Care Program.
Investigators say that during this five-year period, Luke caused approximately 10,000 fraudulent claims to be submitted to the VA. These included duplicate claims, inflated hours of care, charges for days when caregivers were not present, and claims for deceased beneficiaries.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Luke, as the sole owner and billing representative of Four Corners, actively misled the VA’s third-party benefits administrator to conceal the fraud and obstruct recovery efforts. Officials allege he personally benefited from the scheme, spending the illegal proceeds on luxury expenses or transferring the funds across bank accounts in Asia and Africa.
Prosecutors describe the operation as a “deliberate and extensive scheme to defraud U.S. taxpayers and exploit vulnerable veterans.”
If convicted, Luke faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing will ultimately be determined by the court after reviewing all applicable guidelines and factors.
The investigation remains ongoing.
