Officials Accuse 5 of Bilking Medicare

Five Southern Californians were arrested Tuesday and charged with defrauding Medicare out of $20 million by recruiting patients for unnecessary medical treatment and then billing the agency for the services.

An Altadena couple, two of their relatives and an associate are accused of “beneficiary sharing” or “patient rotating,” in which “marketers” obtain data about Medicare beneficiaries and sell the information to clinics or diagnostic testing centers that then prepare fraudulent billings.

The group, led by Konstantin Mikhaylovich Grigoryan, 56, of Altadena, allegedly conducted the fraudulent activity through 12 Los Angeles-area medical providers they controlled since 1997.

The providers purportedly conducted diagnostic examinations, such as ultrasound and blood tests, and then billed Medicare for patients’ visits between 2000 and 2005 -- regardless of whether medical services were received, authorities said.

The ring would fabricate test results to ensure that the patients’ files could withstand an audit by Medicare, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday.

The U.S. attorney’s office charged Grigoryan; his wife, Mayya Leonidovna Grigoryan, 54; Eduard Gershelis, 34, of Los Angeles, the couple’s son-in-law; Aleksandr Treynker, 48, of Canoga Park, Mayya Grigoryan’s brother-in-law; and Haroutyun Gulderyan, 36, of Tujunga with conspiracy, healthcare fraud, Medicare kickbacks, making false statements to a Medicare provider and money laundering.

The complaint alleges that Medicare was forced to pay out at least $20 million in fraudulent claims. Much of the money was deposited into bank accounts for “management” and “consulting” companies, including a Panamanian shell corporation with a Swiss account.

The Grigoryans and Gershelis are being held without bail, authorities said. Treynker will be allowed to remain on home detention after posting a $150,000 bond. Gulderyan’s bail hearing was postponed until Thursday.

Anthony Solis, an attorney for Konstantin Grigoryan, said Tuesday he did not yet have sufficient information to comment on the charges.