**First Co-Conspirator Pleads Guilty in Virginia Medicaid Fraud Guilty Plea**

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Carolyn Bryant-Taylor, 61, of Clinton, Maryland, a former director and corporate officer of 1st Adult N Pediatrics Healthcare, pleaded guilty on August 26, 2025. She admitted to conspiring to commit federal healthcare fraud. Facing up to 10 years in prison, Bryant-Taylor is the first of six defendants to admit guilt in a scheme that defrauded Medicaid through false claims.

Charged alongside Bryant-Taylor in March 2025 were Kafomdi “Josephine” Okocha, 48, Samuel Okocha, 50, Shekita Gore, 38, Elizabeth Ilome, 41, and Eno Utuk, 47. The group operated 1st Adult N Pediatric Healthcare Service. This is a Medicaid-enrolled home health agency in Virginia, providing nursing and personal care services.

Court records reveal that between 2017 and 2023, the defendants submitted fraudulent Medicaid claims for services never provided or exaggerated. Bryant-Taylor and Josephine Okocha orchestrated payments to patients’ parents or guardians for blank, signed nursing notes, which were later falsified to justify Medicaid billing.

The investigation, led by the FBI and Virginia’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, with support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, continues. Acting U.S. Attorney Robert N. Tracci, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, and FBI Acting Special Agent Stephen Farina announced the plea. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Jones, Laura Taylor, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Terry.