A 54-year-oldA 54-year-old Cameroonian woman, Rita Ntusa Anagho, has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison in the United States for her role in a Medicaid fraud scheme involving more than $69 million (approximately 39 billion FCFA) in fraudulent billings in Arizona.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Anagho owned Tusa Integrated Clinic LLC, an addiction-treatment facility in Arizona. Between May 2022 and March 2023, the clinic allegedly submitted fraudulent claims to Arizona’s Medicaid agency, known as the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS).
Authorities said AHCCCS paid approximately $54.9 million (about 31 billion FCFA) based on the fraudulent claims.
The U.S. Department of Justice said the claims involved addiction-treatment services that were either not provided or were not provided as billed. Investigators also alleged that the scheme targeted patients covered by Arizona’s American Indian Health Program because of the higher reimbursement rates associated with the programme.
Anagho pleaded guilty in May 2025 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and healthcare fraud.
In addition to the 14-year federal prison sentence, she was ordered to pay nearly $55 million in restitution. Authorities also seized approximately $9.5 million from bank accounts and nearly $7 million worth of real estate connected to the case.
The case is separate from another Medicaid-related case in Arizona in which Anagho received a 3.5-year state prison sentence after pleading guilty earlier in 2026.
The U.S. Department of Justice described the federal case as one of the significant healthcare fraud prosecutions involving Arizona’s Medicaid system.
Note: Reports referring to the case as involving “39 trillion FCFA” are inaccurate. The more than $69 million in fraudulent billings is approximately 39 billion FCFA, depending on the exchange rate used.