Doctor, Aides Accused of Unlawful Medical Practice, Billing Fraud

A Huntington Park doctor and two employees have been accused of numerous felony and misdemeanor counts alleging that the physician filed false Medi-Cal claims and the employees practiced medicine without a license, a state official said Friday.

Dr. Suresh Gandotra, 39, Carlos Cuellar, 34, and Ricardo Santos, 35, were arrested by state officials Thursday morning at Gandotra’s Coast Urgent Care Medical Clinic in Huntington Park.

The alleged fraudulent billing and unlawful practice of medicine has been going on since at least January, 1985, Deputy Atty. Gen. John Dratz said.

“Dr. Gandotra knowingly hired unlicensed personnel, such as Cuellar and Santos . . . to medically treat patients,” Dratz alleged. Gandotra was the only doctor at the clinic, he said.

Investigation Continuing

There is no evidence that patients treated at the 24-hour clinic were harmed, Dratz said. The investigation is continuing.

Investigators suspect that Gandotra may have defrauded Medi-Cal out of as much as $10,000 by billing for medical services provided by unlicensed employees and for services never rendered, Dratz said.

The three were unavailable for comment Friday, said a receptionist at Coast Medical.

Gandotra, who is scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 31, is free on $30,000 bail. Cuellar, also to be arraigned Jan. 31, posted $10,000 bail. Santos is free on $15,000 bail and will be arraigned Jan. 30.

The doctor is accused of three felony counts of aiding and abetting forgery of a prescription, five felony counts of filing false medical claims, one count of grand theft, one misdemeanor count of aiding and abetting the unlawful practice of medicine and one misdemeanor count of aiding and abetting furnishing a dangerous drug, Dratz said. He faces a maximum state prison sentence of six years, Dratz said.

List of Charges

Cuellar faces two felony counts of forging prescriptions, one misdemeanor count of unlawfully practicing medicine and one misdemeanor count of furnishing a dangerous drug, Dratz said. He faces a maximum prison term of three years, eight months.

Santos is accused of two felony counts of forging prescriptions, one felony count of furnishing a controlled substance, two felony counts of prescribing a controlled substance not in the course of medical practice and one misdemeanor count of unlawfully practicing medicine, Dratz said. If convicted, Santos faces five years and eight months in prison.