A federal jury has convicted East Hollywood-based doctor Robert A. Glazer and patient recruiter Marina Merino of orchestrating a $33 million Medicare fraud scheme. The pair billed the program for services and equipment that were either unnecessary or not provided, with Medicare paying out approximately $22 million.
Glazer, the owner of the Glazer Clinic, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and 12 counts of health care fraud. Merino, a recruiter who received kickback payments for patient referrals, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and eight counts of health care fraud.
The trial revealed that Glazer billed Medicare for office services and tests patients did not need or receive, while Merino and her associates were paid by Angela Avetisyan and Ashot Minasyan to recruit Medicare beneficiaries. Avetisyan and Minasyan, co-owners of Fifth Avenue Home Health, also billed Medicare for home health services that were neither rendered nor medically necessary.
Glazer and Merino are set to be sentenced on September 9 by Judge Otis D. Wright II. They face decades in federal prison. Avetisyan and Minasyan pleaded guilty in October 2018 and will be sentenced on June 10.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, HHS-OIG, IRS, and brought under the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. The Strike Force has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who billed the Medicare program for over $14 billion since its inception in 2007.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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