Two women from West Covina were arrested in connection with a $4.8 million scheme involving fraudulent Medicare claims for hospice services. The indictment alleges that the owner and operator of two hospices filed false claims for medically unnecessary services and paid kickbacks to marketers.
Normita Sierra, 71, known as “Normie,” faces charges including nine counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy, and four counts related to illegal remuneration for health care referrals. Rowena Elegado, 55, known as “Weng,” is charged with one count of conspiracy and four counts of illegal remuneration for health care referrals.
Both are scheduled to appear in United States District Court in Los Angeles this afternoon.
The indictment claims that Sierra operated Golden Meadows Hospice Inc. and D’Alexandria Hospice Inc., billing Medicare for patients not terminally ill from September 2018 to October 2022. Sierra and Elegado allegedly paid marketers to recruit patients using kickbacks disguised as “girl scout cookies,” amounting to up to $1,300 per patient monthly.
Carl Bernardo, 53, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to receiving kickbacks related to a federal health care program. Relyndo Salcedo, 60, a nurse practitioner involved in the scheme, also pleaded guilty on May 22 to health care fraud.
Salcedo reportedly conducted initial assessments but exaggerated patient conditions under pressure from Sierra and others involved. These falsified records were used by hospice physicians for certification purposes.
During the scheme’s operation, Golden Meadows submitted approximately $3.87 million in fraudulent claims with Medicare paying about $2.91 million. D’Alexandria submitted roughly $945,647 with Medicare paying around $894,199.
The indictment is an allegation; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Sierra could face up to 10 years in prison per health care fraud count while both defendants could face up to five years for conspiracy and up to 10 years per illegal kickback count.
The case was investigated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General along with the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Kristen A. Williams is prosecuting.
