A California fraudster who allegedly turned a taxpayer-funded health program into his personal cash machine is going away for three decades after pumping nearly $270 million in bogus claims into Medi-Cal.

Paul Richard Randall, 67, of Orange, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison — the statutory maximum — and ordered to pay more than $178-million in restitution after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud in April 2026.

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“This defendant took advantage of California’s weak systems allowing him to submit $270 million in fraudulent claims to Medi-Cal in less than a year,” First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said.

The 11-month scheme allegedly ran through Monte Vista Pharmacy, where tens of millions of dollars in claims were submitted every month for high-reimbursement, non-contracted generic drugs.

The alleged price gouging was staggering.

One prescription for generic meloxicam 5 mg was billed at approximately $13,424, even though the drug typically costs between $5 and $25 for a 30-day supply in larger dosages.

Pain creams and Folite tablets, an over-the-counter vitamin, were also part of the alleged fraud.

Court documents say the medications were medically unnecessary, frequently never dispensed to patients and obtained through illegal kickbacks.

The operation allegedly depended on a network of payoffs.

Patient marketers received kickbacks in exchange for Medi-Cal beneficiary...

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