Current:Home > ScamsRobert Brown|California man, woman bought gold bars to launder money in $54 million Medicare fraud: Feds -Prime Capital Blueprint
Robert Brown|California man, woman bought gold bars to launder money in $54 million Medicare fraud: Feds
SafeX Pro View
Date:2025-04-05 14:50:34
A Southern California man and Robert Brownwoman are accused of defrauding Medicare out of more than $54 million by submitting phony claims for hospice and diagnostic testing services, and laundering the illegal funds by buying millions of dollars worth of gold coins and bars, federal authorities said.
Sophia Shaklian, 36, of Los Angeles, and Alex Alexsanian, 47, of Burbank, were arrested on Wednesday on a 24-count federal grand jury indictment, according to a Justice Department news release. Shaklian is charged with 16 counts of healthcare fraud and four counts of transactional money laundering, while Alexsanian is facing one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and three counts of concealment money laundering, federal prosecutors said.
From March 2019 to August 2024, Shaklian used aliases to submit fraudulent claims for seven healthcare providers enrolled with Medicare in Los Angeles County, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. A hospice company Shaklian owned called Chateau d’Lumina Hospice and Palliative Care and several diagnostic testing companies, including Saint Gorge Radiology and Hope Diagnostics, allegedly submitted the $54 million in bogus claims to Medicare for services that were never provided or needed, according to the release.
Court records show that neither Shaklian nor Alexsanian have legal representation.
How did Shaklian and Alexsanian allegedly launder illegal funds?
Shaklian and Alexsanian received more than $23 million in total for the claims, federal prosecutors said. Shaklian is also accused of laundering the Medicare funds paid to her hospice company by transferring them to accounts under the fake name "Varsenic Babaian," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Alexsanian allegedly instructed a foreign national to open Saint Gorge Radiology in Sylmar, California, and to acquire Medicare provider Console Hospice, the Justice Department said. Once acquired, Alexsanian took control of the companies, their bank accounts and the foreign national's personal bank accounts, according to federal prosecutors.
Alexsanian also conspired with the foreign national, who has since left the country, and others to have Saint Gorge Radiology and Console Hospice submit phony claims to Medicare for services that were not provided, according to the release. The two bought more than $6 million in gold bars and coins to launder the Medicare reimbursements and funds deposited into their accounts via the "Babaian" identity, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
If convicted, Shaklian will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years for each healthcare fraud count and up to 20 years for each money laundering count. Alexsanian could spend up to 20 years in federal prison for each count if found guilty.
veryGood! (12)
Related
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Nick Cannon Confesses He Mixed Up Mother’s Day Cards for His 12 Kids’ Moms
- As Diesel Spill Spreads, So Do Fears About Canada’s Slow Response
- A Year of Climate Change Evidence: Notes from a Science Reporter’s Journal
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- Dakota Access Protest ‘Felt Like Low-Grade War,’ Says Medic Treating Injuries
- The FDA proposes new targets to limit lead in baby food
- The EPA Once Said Fracking Did Not Cause Widespread Water Contamination. Not Anymore
- Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
- Minnesota Groups Fear Environmental Shortcuts in Enbridge’s Plan to Rebuild Faulty Pipeline
Ranking
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- A Trump-appointed Texas judge could force a major abortion pill off the market
- Kylie Jenner Shares Never-Before-Seen Photos of Kids Stormi and Aire on Mother's Day
- 9 wounded in Denver shooting near Nuggets' Ball Arena as fans celebrated, police say
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- The White House plans to end COVID emergency declarations in May
- 15 wishes for 2023: Trailblazers tell how they'd make life on Earth a bit better
- A Surge of Climate Lawsuits Targets Human Rights, Damage from Fossil Fuels
Recommendation
Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
Can you get COVID and the flu at the same time?
See Blake Lively Transform Into Redheaded Lily Bloom in First Photos From It Ends With Us Set
Farmers, Don’t Count on Technology to Protect Agriculture from Climate Change
Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
A Trump-appointed Texas judge could force a major abortion pill off the market
Why Hailey Bieber Says She's Scared to Have Kids With Justin Bieber
24-Hour Flash Deal: Save 42% On This Attachment That Turns Your KitchenAid Mixer Into an Ice Cream Maker