Eastern District of California Blog

Health Care Fraud Indictment Unsealed

In this recently-unsealed Indictment, Fresno prosecutors charged two chiropractors and a clinical psychologist with health care fraud in connection with clinics in Bakersfield, Visalia, and Fresno.  No. 1:15-CR-0179-LJO.

Yuba City Doctor Indicted On Medicare Fraud

A Yuba City doctor has been linked to an alleged $1.3 million Medicare  scam.

Dr. Irving J. Schwartz was arrested on Tuesday by federal agents and  arraigned in US District Court in Sacramento, the US Attorney's Office confirmed  Wednesday.  Schwartz was released the same day on a $75,000 bail bond.

Appeal Democrat, 7/26/12

Firms Pay $3.45 Million To Settle Medicare Fraud Allegations

The U.S. attorney in Sacramento announced Tuesday that two companies have agreed to pay $3.45 million to settle allegations of Medicare fraud involving a Sacramento mental hospital.

Psychiatric Solutions Inc. and Universal Health Services Inc. have agreed to jointly pay the money to the federal government to settle allegations that BHC Sierra Vista Hospital defrauded the Medicare program.

Sacramento Bee, 5/2/12

Medicare Fraud Scam Nets Doctor 8-Year Sentence

A Los Angeles physician who assumed the role as co-owner of a Sacramento medical clinic has been sentenced to federal prison for his participation in a Medicare fraud scam.

Alexander Popov, 47, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C.England Jr. to eight years and one month in prison for committing health care fraud and conspiring to commit health care fraud, according to a federal Department of Justice news release. He was found guilty by a jury in July.

In sentencing, Judge England found that Popov was responsible for more than a million dollars in fraudulent billings submitted to Medicare and more than $600,000 in payments made on false claims.

Sac Bee Blog, 1/12/12

Sacramento Jury Convicts Three Of Health Care Fraud

Three Southern California doctors with ties to the owner of clinics in Sacramento and Carmichael have been convicted of Medicare fraud by a federal jury in Sacramento.

Dr. Alexander Popov, 46, of Los Angeles; Dr. Ramanathan Prakash, 63, of Northridge; and Dr. Lana Le Chabrier, 62, of Santa Barbara, were convicted of conspiring to commit health-care fraud. In addition, Popov and Prakash were convicted on three individual counts of health care fraud, and Le Chabrier was convicted of a single additional count of health care fraud, according to a federal Department of Justice news release. The guilty verdicts were returned today after a monthlong trial before U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr.

Sac Bee Blog, 7/8/11

Eleven Indicted In Alleged Medicare Fraud

United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that a federal grand jury last week returned a 20-count superseding indictment charging five doctors and six other people with conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

From February 2006 through August 2008, the defendants are alleged to have operated three health-care clinics - in Sacramento, Carmichael and Richmond - that submitted more than $5 million in allegedly fraudulent claims to Medicare.

Sacramento Bee, 3/25/10; KCRA.com

Feds To Start Prosecuting Doctors Who Take Kickbacks

According to The New York Times, within the next few months, federal "officials plan to file civil and criminal charges against a number of surgeons who they say demanded profitable consulting agreements from device makers in exchange for using their products."