Doctor, Lawyer, 2 Others Held in Insurance Scam

A Brentwood physician, an Encino attorney and two other people were arrested Tuesday on suspicion of bilking insurance companies, the Automobile Club of California and the state by filing more than $2 million in fraudulent medical bills, authorities said.

The arrest of Dr. Parviz Kahn Berjis, 70; attorney Fariba Rahimi, 41; medical office administrator Katayoun Jahangani, 35, also of Encino; and accountant Mehran Razy, 49, of Agoura Hills capped a three-year undercover investigation, said Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Michael Grosbard.

Two other people have been charged but not arrested.

All six were charged with one count each of grand theft and conspiracy. The doctor, who was being held in lieu of $5 million bail, was also charged with four counts of insurance fraud and two counts of Medi-Cal fraud. They were expected to be arraigned today.

According to a criminal complaint, in one case Berjis and two unnamed suspects falsified a medical claim for an undercover district attorney’s investigator posing as a “Jimmy Gonzalez,” Grosbard said.

The doctor and others created a medical examination document that stated that Gonzalez “was experiencing pain in his neck, left shoulder and lower back areas accompanied by anxiety and constant headaches” as a result of a car accident, the complaint said.

In addition, the investigator was asked to sign blank physical therapy treatment sign-in sheets with different colored pens, “because it would make it appear that Jimmy Gonzalez had been to Dr. Parviz Berjis’ office on different dates.”

Among other acts, Rahimi allegedly urged the investigator to lie about his injuries under oath after sending a demand letter to the Mercury Insurance Company, according to records.

The same tactics were used with a subsequent undercover investigator, authorities said. In both cases, the insurance companies paid settlements.

Losses in false insurance claims from this scheme may amount to more than $2 million from Jan. 1, 1996, to Dec. 17, 2003, Grosbard said.

The complaint also alleged that Berjis shredded medical files and billing records and kept files that contained physical therapy records signed by patients without documenting the supposed treatment.

Berjis may face a maximum sentence of 12 years in state prison. Jahangani could face more than 10 years, and the rest could face five years in prison.