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Two Los Angeles Pharmacy Owners Found Guilty In $35 Million Case

23 Aug, 2019 F.J. Thomas

                               

Los Angeles, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A scheme to defraud Medicare has resulted in guilty findings against two California businessmen. Aleksandr Suris, 51, and Maxim Sverdlov, 44 were found guilty this week of healthcare fraud and money laundering totaling $35 million. 

According to the indictment, Suris and Sverdlov were co-owners of Royal Care Pharmacy located in Los Angeles. Also mentioned in the indictment is a third co-conspirator that was employed by the pharmacy and not identified. From 2012 to 2015, Royal Care submitted claims for prescriptions that were either not actually filled or were not medically necessary. During that period of time, Royal Care Pharmacy received over $41.5 million from the Medicare part D drug program, and $17,000 from Cigna. 

According to the indictment, the defendants, with the help of a co-conspirator acquired false invoices to bill for the drugs, and then also utilized the invoices to launder the payments afterwards. 

Both men were charged with one count of healthcare fraud and conspiracy for money laundering. Suris was also charged with an additional count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, and six counts of healthcare fraud. Sentencing will take place in November before presiding Central District of California Judge S. James Otero. Prosecuting attorneys are Assistant Chief Daniel J. Griffin and Trial Attorney Robyn N. Pullio. 

The case was part of a state-wide sweep investigation involving $147 million in healthcare fraud for prescriptions that was conducted by federal and state authorities in 2017. It was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General’s Los Angeles Regional Office, the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Los Angeles Field Office, and the California Department of Justice made the announcement. It was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force.

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    About The Author

    • F.J. Thomas

      F.J. Thomas has worked in healthcare business for more than fifteen years in Tennessee. Her experience as a contract appeals analyst has given her an intimate grasp of the inner workings of both the provider and insurance world. Knowing first hand that the industry is constantly changing, she strives to find resources and information you can use.

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