Felony federal prices had been filed towards three folks, together with two Southern California residents, accused in a scheme that defrauded the federal government of greater than $30 million for hospice providers offered to sufferers who weren't terminally in poor health at two Pasadena-based hospice corporations, in response to the U.S. Division of Justice.
Dr. Victor Contreras, 66, of Santa Paula, and Callie Jean Black, 63, of Lancaster, had been arrested Tuesday, March 8 and named in a 14-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court docket in Los Angeles, the DOJ mentioned in a information launch. Juanita Antenor, 59, a former Pasadena resident and proprietor of the hospice corporations, was additionally named within the indictment.
Contreras and Black pleaded not responsible on Tuesday and had been granted launch on bond, mentioned Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace in Los Angeles.
Attorneys for Contreras and Black didn’t have any fast touch upon the allegations.
Antenor owned Arcadia Hospice Supplier Inc. — one of many hospice corporations listed within the indictment — and stays at giant, in response to the DOJ. She is believed to be within the Philippines.
Antenor managed a second hospice firm, Saint Mariam Hospice Inc., that additionally billed Medicare and Medi-Cal for fraudulent hospice providers, the discharge mentioned. In some circumstances, the businesses submitted payments for providers that had been by no means offered.
Between September 2014 and April 2019, Arcadia Hospice Supplier submitted to Medicare almost $23 million in claims for hospice providers offered to beneficiaries, the discharge mentioned. In the meantime, Saint Mariam Hospice submitted to Medicare roughly $13.7 million in claims for hospice providers from February 2015 to April 2019.
Arcadia Hospice Supplier obtained roughly $18.8 million for these claims; Saint Mariam Hospice obtained almost $11.4 million, the discharge mentioned. Arcadia and Saint Mariam additionally submitted collectively greater than $5.5 million in claims to Medi-Cal, which paid the businesses a complete of simply over $1.35 million, the DOJ mentioned.
Contreras is linked to about $5.1 million of the claims paid by Medicare, the discharge mentioned.
Contreras is accused of offering fraudulent certifications for sufferers, together with some he claimed to have examined, however by no means really noticed, the DOJ mentioned. The DOJ mentioned this occurred whereas he was on probation imposed by the California Medical Board. Information present Contreras was positioned on a 10-year probation by the board in February 2015 for violating a number of statutes involving the regulation of harmful medication or managed substances within the care and remedy of a number of sufferers.
Black, a marketer, was allegedly one among a number of paid by Antenor for unlawful kickbacks for the sufferers referred to Arcadia and Saint Mariam, the discharge mentioned.
Antenor was indicted on six counts of well being care fraud, and a further 4 counts of paying unlawful kickbacks for well being care referrals, the discharge mentioned. Contreras was indicted on 5 counts of well being care fraud. Black was indicted on 4 counts of receiving unlawful kickbacks.