US Justice Department in Washington. Credit: Diego M. Radzinschi/ ALM

The husband of a woman sentenced to 75 years in prison for health care fraud received an 80-year imprisonment term for similar conduct but isn't behind bars after failing to appear at the hearing.

Ebong Tilong, 53, of Sugar Land, Texas, was scheduled to appear on Oct. 13 before U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon of the Southern District of Texas to be sentenced on 11 counts stemming from his role in a $13 million Medicare fraud scheme.

Tilong, who co-owned a Houston home health agency, pleaded guilty to most of the charges after the first week of a two-week trial in November 2016. The sentencing hearing was rescheduled for last Friday. Tilong was sentenced in absentia, according to court records.

Marie Neba, Tilong's wife and co-owner of Fiango Home Healthcare Inc. in Houston, was sentenced in August to 75 years in prison—one of the longest-ever terms for health care fraud. At the time, she was suffering from stage IV metastatic breast cancer that had spread to her lungs and bones. Neba has appealed her conviction and sentencing. The appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is pending.

According to court records, after Tilong failed to show up for his sentencing hearing in October, a pretrial services officer notified Harmon that the officer received a tamper alert on Tilong's ankle monitor around 7:30 that morning. Several calls, none of which were answered, were made to his cell phone, after which Harmon issued a warrant for Tilong, according to court records. Tilong is designated as a “fugitive” on the court's online docket.

As the judge did in Neba's case, Harmon imposed the statutory maximum prison term on each charge, and then ran them consecutively.

Tilong pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, three counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks, three counts of payment and receipt of health care kickbacks and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. In a separate but related case, he pleaded guilty to two counts of making and subscribing false statements.

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US Justice Department in Washington. Credit: Diego M. Radzinschi/ ALM

The husband of a woman sentenced to 75 years in prison for health care fraud received an 80-year imprisonment term for similar conduct but isn't behind bars after failing to appear at the hearing.

Ebong Tilong, 53, of Sugar Land, Texas, was scheduled to appear on Oct. 13 before U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon of the Southern District of Texas to be sentenced on 11 counts stemming from his role in a $13 million Medicare fraud scheme.

Tilong, who co-owned a Houston home health agency, pleaded guilty to most of the charges after the first week of a two-week trial in November 2016. The sentencing hearing was rescheduled for last Friday. Tilong was sentenced in absentia, according to court records.

Marie Neba, Tilong's wife and co-owner of Fiango Home Healthcare Inc. in Houston, was sentenced in August to 75 years in prison—one of the longest-ever terms for health care fraud. At the time, she was suffering from stage IV metastatic breast cancer that had spread to her lungs and bones. Neba has appealed her conviction and sentencing. The appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is pending.

According to court records, after Tilong failed to show up for his sentencing hearing in October, a pretrial services officer notified Harmon that the officer received a tamper alert on Tilong's ankle monitor around 7:30 that morning. Several calls, none of which were answered, were made to his cell phone, after which Harmon issued a warrant for Tilong, according to court records. Tilong is designated as a “fugitive” on the court's online docket.

As the judge did in Neba's case, Harmon imposed the statutory maximum prison term on each charge, and then ran them consecutively.

Tilong pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, three counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks, three counts of payment and receipt of health care kickbacks and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. In a separate but related case, he pleaded guilty to two counts of making and subscribing false statements.

Read more: