Agency Hired Fake Nursing Aides and Defrauded Nursing Homes — Now Facing 13 Indictments

The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO) recently announced that a Worcester County Grand Jury returned 13 indictments against:

•  Blooming Staffing Agency, Inc., 
•  Owner Catherine Kibe,
• A former employee Osaretin “Jerry” Osazee.

The indictments accuse them of staffing uncertified aides in nursing homes and fraudulently billing facilities for services that certified personnel were supposed to provide.

Catherine Kibe, 46, has owned Blooming since 2020. Blooming contracts out Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), and Registered Nurses (RNs) to nursing homes in the Worcester area. Temporary nurse staffing agencies in Massachusetts are regulated by the Department of Public Health (DPH), and they must verify that all medical personnel maintain current licenses or certifications appropriate to their roles.

The AGO alleges Kibe knowingly allowed and instructed uncertified individuals to work as CNAs who lacked the required training, putting nursing home residents at risk. Kibe then fraudulently billed the nursing homes for CNA services, claiming her uncertified employees were certified. Blooming received over $300,000 for aided services that were not performed by legitimate CNAs.

Osazee, 29, worked for Blooming between 2023 and 2024 and worked at nursing homes without ever obtaining a Massachusetts CNA certificate. He impersonated a licensed CNA at Kibe’s direction.

This prosecution exemplifies the AGO’s dedication to protecting vulnerable elders and ensuring compliance within healthcare staffing agencies. Since taking office, Attorney General Maura Healey has recovered nearly $900,000 from nurse staffing agencies through settlements for regulatory violations. The Medicaid Fraud Division, which investigated this case, also prosecutes abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation cases in long-term care settings.

The charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the AGO’s Medicaid Fraud Division with assistance from the Shrewsbury Police Department, Board of Registration in Nursing, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.

Individuals can report MassHealth fraud or complaints of abuse or neglect of Medicaid patients or long-term care residents through the AGO’s website.

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Crime