A doctor from Southern California was found guilty of committing a multi-year scam to swindle Medicare out of millions of dollars. U.S. Attorney’s Office: Victor Contreras, 68, of Santa Paula, was employed by two Pasadena hospices.
Authorities stated that between July 2016 and February 2019, Contreras and Juanita Antenor, 61, conspired to defraud Medicare by filing about $4 million in fictitious claims for hospice treatment.
Antenor was in charge of the hospice providers, Arcadia Hospice Provider Inc. and Saint Mariam Hospice Inc. Officials clarified that Medicare usually only pays for hospice treatment for people who are terminally ill.
According to prosecution records, Contreras falsely claimed that his patients had terminal illnesses so they may receive Medicare-covered hospice services.
Even though Contreras was not their primary care physician and had not discussed their concerns with their doctors, he submitted bogus claims on behalf of certain patients. According to authorities, Contreas used this technique to evade Medicare out of $3,289,889 in payments.
Records from the Medical Board of California indicate that Contreras holds a medical license in the state of California; nevertheless, since 2015, he has been placed on probation with the board and is subject to restrictions on his practice.
Contreras entered a guilty plea to a single charge of healthcare fraud. He will be sentenced on October 25 and might spend up to ten years behind bars. Antenor, his accomplice, is still at large.
Read Also: Dad Accused of Dumping Baby Appears in Court Wearing Nirvana Smiley Face Tee
Callie Black, 65, of Lancaster, who is accused of recruiting patients for the hospice companies in exchange for illicit kickbacks, is the third co-conspirator. She has entered a not guilty plea. The date of the trial hearing is October 15.
The FBI, the California Department of Justice, and the Office of Inspector General of the United States Department of Health and Human Services all looked into the case.
