The CEO of a United States-based home care company, Cashmir Chinedu Luke, has been arrested by American authorities for defrauding the Department of Veteran Affairs of over $7 million.

In a statement by the Department of Justice, Mr Luke was arrested at the San Francisco International Airport on Wednesday while he was about to board a flight to Nigeria.

According to the prosecutors, between 2019 and 2024, the suspect used his Fresno-based company, Four Corners Health LLC, to file thousands of fake payment claims with the U.S. government for purported in-home nursing and day-to-day care provided to old retired American servicemembers under the Veterans Community Care.

Some of the false claims allegedly submitted by Mr Luke included billing for services that were never actually rendered, including care purportedly rendered to veterans weeks after they had died, resulting in an investigation into the activities of the defendant by the U.S. Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General.

Through Four Corners Health, which he is the sole owner and billing representative, Mr Luke reportedly submitted at least 10,000 dubious applications, seeking the reimbursement of more than $7 million from the U.S. government for days caretakers were not present with veterans and claims for hours of care beyond when the workers were taking care of their patients.

Authorities said being the sole decision-maker at the company allowed Mr Luke to control the illegal proceeds from reimbursement payments, which he spent lavishly either on personal expenses or by promptly transferring the funds across a network of bank accounts throughout Asia and Africa upon receiving them from the government.

Meanwhile, Mr Luke is expected to be arraigned at a federal court soon. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted on fraud charges.