The CEO of a United States-based home care company, Cashmir Chinedu Luke, has been arrested at San Francisco International Airport by U.S. authorities for defrauding the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of over $7 million.

According to a statement from the Department of Justice, Luke was arrested on Wednesday while attempting to board a flight to Nigeria.

The statement reads: “The CEO of a Fresno-based home health care company was arrested at San Francisco International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Nigeria. He is charged in a criminal complaint alleging that he fraudulently obtained more than $7 million in payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs for services that were never actually rendered, including care purportedly provided to veterans weeks after they had died,” U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

“Court documents indicate that between December 2019 and July 2024, Cashmir Chinedu Luke, believed to be 66, of Antioch, operated Four Corners Health LLC. The company provided unskilled in-home nursing and daily care for elderly VA beneficiaries under the Veterans Community Care Program, operating in Fresno, Tulare, Merced, Mariposa, Madera, San Francisco, and Contra Costa Counties.

“Luke engaged in a five-year scheme to bill the VA for hours of care that were never provided. Four Corners submitted approximately 10,000 false claims, which caused the VA, through its third-party benefits administrator, to reimburse Four Corners $7 million. The fraudulent claims included duplicate charges for care actually provided, claims for days when caretakers were not present, claims for hours exceeding those actually worked, and claims for care for veterans who had already died.

“Luke served as the sole owner and billing representative for Four Corners and actively misled the VA’s third-party benefits administrator, allowing the billing scheme to continue. He personally profited as the sole owner of the bank accounts that received the payments, spending them lavishly on personal expenses or transferring the funds 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin Lee is prosecuting the matter. If convicted, Luke faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence will be determined at the court’s discretion, taking into account statutory factors and federal sentencing guidelines.

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

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