California Women Plead Guilty to Medicare Fraud Scheme

LOS ANGELES (TNND) — Two women from California have admitted their involvement in a complex scheme that defrauded Medicare of close to $16 million. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) described their actions as utilizing “sham hospice companies” and laundering the fraudulent gains over several years.

Defendants’ Background

The women are identified as Karpis Srapyan, 35, and Susanna Harutyunyan, 39, both residing in Winnetka, California.

Details of the Fraudulent Scheme

According to court documents, Srapyan collaborated with two accomplices, Petros Fichidzhyan and Juan Carlos Esparza, to bill Medicare for services that were never rendered. They orchestrated the fraud through a network of four fictitious hospice companies, with one company owned by Esparza and the others controlled by foreign nationals but managed by the defendants.

“To conduct their fraudulent scheme, they used a series of four sham hospice companies… Srapyan and his co-defendants concealed the scheme by using foreign nationals’ personal identifying information to open bank accounts, submit information to Medicare, and sign property leases,” stated the DOJ in a recent release.

Money Laundering Activities

Federal prosecutors revealed that the group not only committed fraud but also laundered the ill-gotten funds. Harutyunyan was aware of her husband Mihran Panosyan’s illegal activities alongside Srapyan and Fichidzhyan.

“As part of the money laundering scheme, Harutyunyan and her co-defendants maintained fraudulent identification documents, bank documents, checkbooks, and credit and debit cards in the names of purported foreign owners,” the DOJ reports.

In total, Srapyan executed multiple transactions exceeding $3.2 million, transferring funds between various accounts linked to the sham companies and foreign nationals involved.

Consequences and Sentencing

Srapyan is scheduled for sentencing on October 6 and could face up to 20 years in prison. Harutyunyan’s sentencing is set for November 17, with a potential maximum sentence of 10 years and the threat of deportation hanging over her.

A federal district court judge will determine their sentences while considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant statutory factors.