Cheyenne Suarez

2 Filipinas in California arrested for alleged $4.8-M hospice fraud scheme

Article (news)

TJ Manotoc

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1749263316226West_Covina_Civic_Center.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="West Covina Civic Center in West Covina, California, ASDFGH, CC BY-SA 4.0"/>West Covina Civic Center in West Covina, California, ASDFGH, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA 4.0</a></div>LOS ANGELES — Two Filipino women from West Covina, California, were arrested Tuesday on charges that they orchestrated a multi-million-dollar scheme to defraud Medicare by billing for hospice care services for patients who were not terminally ill.Normita “Normie” Sierra, 71, owner of Golden Meadows Hospice Inc. and D’Alexandria Hospice Inc., and Rowena “Weng” Elegado, 55, were indicted by a federal grand jury on conspiracy and health care fraud charges.Sierra faces 14 counts, including nine counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy, and four counts of illegal remuneration for health care referrals.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/5/13/fil-am-arrested-after-allegedly-kidnapping-a-girl-he-met-on-video-game-roblox-1215">Fil-Am arrested after allegedly kidnapping 10-year-old girl he met on Roblox </a></div>Elegado faces one count of conspiracy and four counts of illegal remuneration for health care referrals.The indictment alleges that from 2018 to 2022, Sierra and Elegado paid marketers—using the code “girl scout cookies”—to recruit patients, many of whom were not terminally ill.These kickbacks reportedly reached up to $1,300 per patient per month.Federal prosecutors said Sierra and Elegado falsely enrolled patients into hospice care and submitted over $4.8 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, which paid out more than $3.8 million.Nurse practitioner Relyndo Salcedo, 60, of Fontana, allegedly exaggerated and falsified patient conditions under pressure from Sierra. Salcedo and marketer Carl Bernardo, 53, of Chino, have already pleaded guilty to charges related to the scheme.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/4/25/release-of-alleged-pinoy-child-predator-caught-in-sting-highlights-call-for-bail-reform-1703">Release of alleged Pinoy child predator caught in sting highlights call for bail reform </a></div>If convicted, Sierra could face up to 10 years in prison for each health care fraud count.Sierra and Elegado face up to five years for conspiracy and up to 10 years for each illegal kickback count.The arrests are the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Williams is prosecuting the case.

The indictment alleges that from 2018 to 2022, Sierra and Elegado paid marketers—using the code “girl scout cookies”—to recruit patients, many of whom were not terminally ill.

The indictment alleges that from 2018 to 2022, Sierra and Elegado paid marketers—using the code “girl scout cookies”—to recruit patients, many of whom were not terminally ill.