LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday announced what they called a major health care fraud takedown throughout Southern California, which included the arrest of doctors and nurses.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli was joined during a press conference by several law enforcement agencies including the FBI, and Dr. Mehmet Oz, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
They said they served a series of search and arrest warrants throughout the region, from Covina to Lakewood. Eight people were arrested and more than a dozen are being charged for suspected health fraud.
They also mentioned fraudulent hospice care.
"These defendants recruited beneficiaries who were not terminally ill, and paid them to pose as patients receiving hospice care. Medicare then paid millions of dollars - hundreds of millions of dollars - on false and fraudulent claims submitted by fraudsters," said Essayli.
Among those arrested were a Covina couple. Prosecutors said 66-year-old psychologist Gladwin Gill and his wife, Amelou Gill, a registered nurse, operated a fraudulent hospice business out of Glendale.
"This particular hospice submitted more than $5.2 million in fraudulent claims, and Medicare actually paid out more than $4 million," Essayli said.
Gill's attorney told Eyewitness News he denies the allegations and looks forward to his day in court.
Oz announced a broader review of hospice providers in the state.
"We're going to review every single...
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