An Arizona addiction treatment clinic owner has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after admitting her role in a scheme that billed the state’s Medicaid program more than $69 million in less than a year.
Rita Ntusa Anagho, 54, of San Tan Valley owned and operated Tusa Integrated Clinic LLC, an outpatient addiction treatment center. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, the clinic submitted the claims between approximately May 2022 and March 2023 and received about $54.9 million from the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System.
Anagho, a licensed nurse practitioner, pleaded guilty in May 2025 to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. Federal authorities said Tusa billed for addiction treatment that was not provided or did not match the services represented in its claims.
In addition to the prison term, Anagho was ordered to pay almost $55 million in restitution. She must also forfeit nearly $9.5 million seized from seven bank accounts she controlled and almost $7 million in real estate.
The Clinic Targeted a Higher Paying Medicaid Program
Prosecutors said Anagho and her associates deliberately sought patients covered through the American Indian Health Program, a fee-for-service option available to Native Americans enrolled in AHCCCS.
The program reimbursed providers at higher rates than other AHCCCS health plans. Federal authorities said the operation exploited people seeking substance abuse treatment while using their coverage to generate payments for the clinic.
Justice Department records from the broader investigation have also described individuals being recruited into Arizona behavioral health programs or moved into higher paying coverage so providers could increase reimbursements.
Sober Home Owners Were Paid to Send Patients to Tusa
Tusa expanded its patient base by paying illegal kickbacks to owners of sober living residences in exchange for referrals, according to prosecutors.
Once those residents were directed to the clinic, federal authorities said claims were submitted for services that were medically unnecessary, too substandard to serve a treatment purpose, not part of a legitimate treatment plan or otherwise improperly billed.
A related federal case illustrates how the referral system allegedly operated. Prosecutors charged sober home owner Cle’Esther Davenport with receiving approximately $739,000 in kickbacks for sending people to Tusa, resulting in roughly $1.58 million in improper AHCCCS payments. Those charges against Davenport remain pending.
Employees Were Told to Create Fake Therapy Notes
The investigation eventually turned to the records supporting Tusa’s claims. Prosecutors said Anagho instructed former employees to create therapy notes for sessions they had not conducted after the clinic received a federal subpoena in 2023.
The fabricated records were intended to make earlier billing appear supported by medical documentation, according to the government.
Anagho’s original 2024 indictment included health care fraud, money laundering and obstruction charges in addition to the conspiracy count to which she later pleaded guilty.
The Case Was Part of a Wider Arizona Behavioral Health Investigation
Anagho was initially charged in June 2024 during a national Justice Department health care fraud enforcement action that included several Arizona cases involving behavioral health providers.
The federal government has maintained a dedicated Arizona investigation into suspected fraud involving AHCCCS treatment programs, including allegations of kickbacks, patient brokering and false billing involving substance abuse services.
The FBI and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General investigated Anagho’s case with assistance from the AHCCCS Office of Inspector General. U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi imposed the sentence on September 14 after several previously scheduled sentencing hearings were continued.
Patients Can Report Medicaid Charges for Care They Never Received
The AHCCCS Office of Inspector General identifies billing for services that were never provided, medically unnecessary treatment, false claims, overbilling and kickbacks as examples of provider fraud.
Patients who notice behavioral health services they do not recognize should compare billing information with their own appointment and treatment records. Dates when no visit occurred, unfamiliar providers or services that differ substantially from the care actually received can be reported for review.
Anyone can report suspected AHCCCS fraud, including patients, relatives, employees, providers and members of the public, and reports may be made anonymously. The provider fraud line is 602-417-4045 in Arizona and 888-487-6686 outside the state.
Appointment records, treatment plans, text messages, billing notices and provider names should be preserved when possible. Those details can help investigators determine whether Medicaid was billed for legitimate treatment or for services that never occurred.