Los Angeles
A federal prosecutor has launched a new criminal unit dedicated to the prosecution of health care fraud, which she said is a growing problem in Southern California.
U.S. Attorney Debra Yang said that the Feb. 2 arrest of a DME owner for an alleged $2.4 million Medicare scheme was “the opening salvo” in increased efforts to prosecute health care fraud in the district.
A 50-page criminal complaint accuses Pacific Care Medical Supply owner Atim Okorn of filing fraudulent claims for equipment and supplies over a five-year period. The 49-year-old Chino Hills resident allegedly billed Medicare for wheelchairs, hospital beds and other medical equipment that was not prescribed by doctors or received by beneficiaries.
According to Yang, health care fraud is “unfortunately one of the big ‘growth areas’ of crime in our district.”
In addition to the HHS Office of the Inspector General and FBI investigators, the unit will have three assistant U.S. attorneys designated as full-time members.
