LOS ANGELES
A Los Angeles woman and a San Fernando Valley man were arrested Wednesday on a 24-count federal grand jury indictment alleging a scheme to defraud Medicare out of more than $54 million via hospice and diagnostic testing services, officials stated.
The services were never provided and then laundered their illicit proceeds, including by buying millions of dollars’ worth of gold bars and coins.
Sophia Shaklian, 36, of the Larchmont area of Los Angeles, and Alex Alexsanian, 47, of Burbank, were arrested Wednesday.
Shaklian is charged with 16 counts of healthcare fraud and four counts of transactional money laundering. Alexsanian is charged with one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and three counts of concealment money laundering.
According to the indictment that a federal grand jury returned on October 2, Shaklian, often using aliases, managed and submitted claims for seven healthcare providers enrolled with Medicare and located in Los Angeles County.
These businesses included a hospice company she owned—the Pasadena-based Chateau d’Lumina Hospice and Palliative Care—and several diagnostic testing companies: Saint Gorge Radiology in Sylmar; Hope Diagnostics in North Hollywood; Direct Imaging & Diagnostics and Lab One – both located in Hollywood; and Labtech and Lifescan Diagnostics in Claremont.
From March 2019 to August 2024, these companies allegedly submitted over $54 million in fraudulent Medicare claims for services that were never provided or needed, receiving more than $23 million in payments. Shaklian is accused of laundering the Medicare funds by transferring them to accounts under a fake identity named “Varsenic Babaian.”
Alexsanian allegedly instructed a foreign national to establish Saint Gorge Radiology and acquire Console Hospice in Van Nuys.
Then, Alexsanian gave Alexsanian control over the companies, their bank accounts, and the foreign national’s personal bank accounts.
Alexsanian conspired with the foreign national, who soon left the country, and others to submit fraudulent Medicare claims through Saint Gorge Radiology and Console Hospice for services that were never provided.
He then laundered the Medicare payments and funds funneled through the “Babaian” identity, using the money to buy more than $6 million in gold bars and coins.
The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
If convicted of all charges, Shaklian faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each healthcare fraud count and up to 20 years for each money laundering count. Alexsanian faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General and the FBI are investigating this matter.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Williams of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.