Federal prosecutors allege a D.C. mental health provider submitted fraudulent claims as part of approximately $14 million in Medicaid billings for youth services.

A 10-count indictment unsealed Thursday, Nov. 5, in U.S. District Court accuses two executives and a community support worker at Quality Healthcare Services LLC of billing for Mental Health Rehabilitation Services (MHRS) that were never provided or were grossly inflated, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. The company billed D.C. Medicaid approximately $14 million for MHRS from January 2022 through February 2025. Prosecutors say the scheme caused losses to D.C.'s Medicaid program exceeding millions of dollars.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the charges. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of a fleet of luxury vehicles, a Maryland house and a Cartier watch.

Who is charged

Mwasi Songambele, 52, of Laurel, Maryland, is described in the indictment as the controlling executive who ran day-to-day operations at Quality Healthcare Services. She faces one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, four counts of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Songambele is a citizen of Tanzania with a pending final order of removal from the United States, according to the indictment.

Maya Cheyo, 31, of Brambleton, Virginia, also known as "Mwaya Songambele," is Songambele's daughter and served as the company's chief operating officer and human resources director. She faces one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and two counts of health care fraud.

Vanessa Kuh, 29, of Lanham, Maryland, is a community support worker at the company. She faces the same three charges as Cheyo.

No response from attorneys for the defendants appears in available records as of publication.

How the scheme allegedly worked

Songambele instructed employees on how to document and bill Medicaid for MHRS, according to the indictment. Workers allegedly inflated the time spent on telehealth calls or recorded encounters that never took place.

The billing rules were specific. Workers were told to bill four units, about one hour, for every telehealth call even if it lasted only a few minutes. To avoid scrutiny from the D.C. Department of Behavioral Health, management told workers to pick a random service length between 53 and 67 minutes to make the calls look realistic, the indictment alleges.

Songambele also allegedly told workers to use all 600 units authorized by Medicaid for each consumer during a 180-day period, regardless of medical necessity or whether services were actually performed.

What prosecutors want to seize

The indictment seeks forfeiture of five vehicles: a 2024 Mercedes-Benz G550W4, a 2023 Mercedes-Benz G550W4, a 2022 Mercedes-Benz 2500 Cargo Van, a 2020 Mercedes-Benz C300W4 and a 2023 Rover Defender. Prosecutors also seek a house on the 7000 block of Tranquility Road in Laurel, Maryland, and a Panthere De Cartier Watch, Medium Model.

The FBI Washington Field Office, the D.C. Office of the Inspector General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Facci is prosecuting the case, which is docketed as 26-CR-263.

Residents who suspect Medicaid fraud can report it to the D.C. Office of the Inspector General at (202) 727-2540.