US-Based Nigerian CEO Arrested for $7M VA Fraud While Boarding Flight to Nigeria

Cashmir Chinedu Luke, the CEO of a U.S.-based home care company, has been arrested at San Francisco International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Nigeria, accused of defrauding the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of over $7 million.

According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, Luke, 66, allegedly submitted false claims for services that were never provided, including purported care for veterans weeks after they had died.

“The CEO of a Fresno-based home health care company was arrested while attempting to board a flight to Nigeria. He is charged with fraudulently obtaining over $7 million in payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs for services that were never rendered,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant.

Court documents indicate that between December 2019 and July 2024, Luke operated Four Corners Health LLC, which provided unskilled in-home nursing and daily care for elderly VA beneficiaries under the Veterans Community Care Program in Fresno, Tulare, Merced, Mariposa, Madera, San Francisco, and Contra Costa Counties.

Investigators allege that Luke engaged in a five-year scheme to bill the VA for thousands of hours of care that were never rendered. The fraudulent claims included duplicate billing, hours not worked, and care for deceased veterans, resulting in $7 million in reimbursements through the VA’s third-party benefits administrator.

Luke, the sole owner and billing representative of Four Corners, reportedly personally profited from the scheme, spending the funds lavishly and transferring money across bank accounts in Asia and Africa.

The case is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin Lee prosecuting. If convicted, Luke faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, although the exact sentence will be determined by the court in accordance with federal Sentencing Guidelines.

“The charges are allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” the DOJ statement noted.