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Federal Authorities Charge 10 in Southern California Healthcare Fraud Cases Totaling $297 Million
Ten defendants in the Central District of California face charges tied to two schemes involving nearly $270 million in Medi-Cal claims and $27 million in Medicare billings. The cases form part of a national Justice Department operation that charged 455 people in alleged fraud exceeding $6.5 billion.
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Federal authorities on Tuesday charged 10 defendants in the Central District of California with healthcare fraud and related offenses involving nearly $297 million in alleged fraudulent claims, Fox News reported. One scheme allegedly generated nearly $270 million in fraudulent Medi-Cal claims, while a second defrauded Medicare of approximately $27 million.
Department of Justice. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated during a news conference that fraudsters can no longer rip off American taxpayers. He added that those who seek to harm or cheat Americans will face asset seizures and prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.
In the Medi-Cal case, prosecutors charged Christina Mareik, 61, also known as Christina Marie Sanchez Hernandez, of Whittier. She was arrested on June 17 and is accused of facilitating fraudulent prescriptions that generated nearly $270 million in claims, with Medi-Cal paying out more than $178 million. Five individuals were arrested in the greater Los Angeles area in connection with that scheme.
In the Medicare case, Oren David Shachar, 59, of Van Nuys; Abraham Shin, 66, of Corona; and Jeannie Choi, 57, of Torrance, face a 16-count indictment alleging they operated hospice care companies that billed Medicare approximately $27 million. The charges against the 10 defendants include conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, healthcare fraud, aggravated identity theft, monetary transactions involving criminally derived property exceeding $10,000, and violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute.
