LOS ANGELES — Federal prosecutors have charged 10 Southern California defendants as part of a nationwide health care fraud crackdown that authorities say uncovered more than $6.5 billion in false claims submitted to government-funded health programs, federal officials announced Tuesday.
Five defendants were arrested in the greater Los Angeles area, including a Whittier woman accused of participating in a scheme that submitted nearly $270 million in fraudulent Medi-Cal claims for high-cost prescription drugs.
A San Fernando Valley man also is charged with operating hospice companies that allegedly fraudulently billed Medicare approximately $27 million, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Quick Facts
- 10 Southern California defendants charged
- 5 defendants arrested in the Los Angeles area
- $270 million in alleged fraudulent Medi-Cal claims
- $27 million in alleged fraudulent Medicare hospice billings
- 455 defendants charged nationwide
- 90 doctors and licensed medical professionals charged
- $6.5 billion in alleged false claims
- 56 federal districts involved
- 45 states and territories participated
- $182 million in assets seized
- 1,079 providers suspended
- 1,403 billing privileges revoked
The defendants are accused of defrauding public health care programs or abusing medical licenses to illegally prescribe controlled substances.
The Southern California cases are part of a coordinated national enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for alleged involvement in health care fraud, opioid abuse schemes, and related crimes.
Federal authorities said the nationwide schemes involved more than $6.5 billion in fraudulent claims and caused significant patient harm, including deaths.
The operation spanned 56 federal districts and 45 states and U.S. territories, with participation from 50 Medicaid Fraud Control Units, the largest such effort in Justice Department history.
Authorities also announced international arrests tied to major health care fraud investigations. Defendants were apprehended in Cyprus, Estonia and the Philippines and returned or are being returned to the United States to face charges related to schemes collectively valued at more than $15.5 billion.
Federal officials said investigators seized more than $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry and other assets during the operation.
The enforcement action also included administrative and civil penalties:
• The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services suspended 1,079 providers and revoked billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General secured 48 civil monetary settlements totaling more than $73 million, excluded more than 1,400 providers from federal programs, and initiated actions seeking more than $10 billion in recoveries.
• Federal authorities filed civil charges against 13 defendants involving $14.8 million in alleged fraud and reached settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
• The Drug Enforcement Administration has opened 928 administrative actions seeking to revoke prescribing or controlled-substance authority since Oct. 1, 2025.
The charges contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.