Ester N. Mbaya, a 43-year-old resident of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 41 months in prison for health care fraud and bank fraud. The sentencing was delivered by United States District Court Judge Julia K. Munley on February 27, 2025. In addition to the prison term, Mbaya is required to pay $3,349,550 in restitution.
Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus reported that Mbaya was the president of Cool Waters, LLC, a home health care agency. She submitted fraudulent Medicaid claims for services not rendered or inflated between January 2018 and June 2020, acquiring over $1 million through this scheme.
Mbaya also falsified records to secure loans and lines of credit from four financial institutions. These records included altered bank statements and falsified paychecks.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday commented on the case: “This exhaustive investigation uncovered nearly three million dollars in Medicaid funds that should have been used to help Pennsylvanians in need of care but instead were taken by the defendant who deliberately defrauded the system.” He acknowledged the efforts of his team and federal partners that led to the successful prosecution.
Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), stated: “This sentencing sends a clear message that home health care providers are required to follow the law and submit only valid claims to Medicaid for reimbursement.”
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Sherwood and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Consiglio prosecuted the case.
