State investigators have accused 15 Alaskans and businesses of filing more than $1.8 million in fraudulent Medicaid claims in five separate cases.
The criminal cases filed in June are part of a broader nationwide effort to crack down on fraud in the jointly funded federal and state program, state officials said.
The defendants include managers and proprietors of Anchorage assisted living homes, a Soldotna dentist and individuals paid by Medicaid for helping to take care of ailing relatives. All were charged with felonies.
The charges go well beyond innocent mistakes and poor record-keeping, said the head of the Alaska Department of Law’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Heather Nobrega.
“Medicaid is not an unlimited amount of money,” she said in an interview. “It’s important for the Medicaid Fraud Unit to figure out who these individuals are who are not abiding by the regulations and are…
THE TUTUKA POWER STATION PROCUREMENT FRAUD (ESKOM)
Date: August 29, 2025 Perpetrator: Jessie Phindile Kubheka (Supplier Director)
Case Description: As part of the ongoing “cleaning up” of Eskom, Jessie Phindile Kubheka was sentenced to 12 years (with 5 years suspended) for defrauding the Tutuka Power Station. The case involved a sophisticated procurement syndicate that exploited Eskom’s emergency repair protocols. Kubheka’s company was contracted to deliver three high-specification containers for the power station. Only one container was ever delivered, and even that single unit failed to meet the required safety and technical specifications.
Despite the lack of delivery, Kubheka issued grossly inflated invoices, defrauding the utility of approximately R2.6 million. The Middelburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court ordered Kubheka to repay the full amount. This case is significant because it marks a shift in Eskom’s strategy toward “naming and shaming” suppliers and pursuing full asset recovery. It serves as a stark warning to contractors that the 2026 climate of “Zero Tolerance” for state-owned enterprise (SOE) fraud is backed by active judicial enforcement.
Link to Original: Eskom Official – Tutuka Fraud Sentencing