A Filipino-American nurse from Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, has been charged in Houston, Texas, for allegedly leading a health care fraud scheme that submitted more than $906 million in false claims to Medicare and TRICARE.
Marizel Cambri Yukee, a resident of Las Vegas, Nevada, was indicted on June 18. Prosecutors said she and her accomplices submitted fraudulent reimbursement claims between October 2023 and April 2026. Medicare and TRICARE paid more than $297 million on those claims.
Yukee owned and controlled several clinics known collectively as the Yukee clinics. Court documents state the scheme involved paying illegal kickbacks to health care providers to refer patients. The claims were for items and services that were medically unreasonable and unnecessary.
Authorities allege the proceeds funded a lavish lifestyle. Items listed include a Ferrari 296 GTS, a Cadillac Escalade, a Bulgari necklace, a home in Hawaii and a beach resort in Sta. Ana, Cagayan. Prosecutors are seeking forfeiture of the properties and funds.
