Law360, Springfield (December 16, 2016, 4:21 PM EST) — Two more nurses and an office manager pled guilty in Illinois federal court on Thursday to one count to commit health care fraud in litigation involving several Chicago-area home health care companies in a $45 million Medicare scheme.
Registered nurses Mary Mendoza and Ronald Malalis, along with office manager Janet Guerrero entered plea bargains in the alleged scheme run by the owners of Lincolnwood-based Pathways Home Health Services LLC, Donnarich Home Health Care Inc. and Josdan Home Health Care Inc. The owners of the three home health companies, Josephine, Richard and Maribel Tinimbang, are the alleged ringleaders, with help from staff.

In their time participating in the Tinimbangs’ scheme, Mendoza and Malalis allegedly made patients out to be sicker than they were, in order to gain a higher payout from the Medicare program. The nurses allegedly falsified patient care paperwork…