Sophia Shaklian, Medicare Fraud, California 2024

LOS ANGELES - A brazen Medicare scam has been brought to light, with two Los Angeles-area residents facing charges for defrauding the program out of over $54 million.

Sophia Shaklian, 36, of the Larchmont area of Los Angeles, and Alex Alexsanian, 47, of Burbank, were arrested early this morning on a 24-count federal grand jury indictment alleging a scheme to defraud Medicare via hospice and diagnostic testing services that were never provided and then laundered their illicit proceeds.

According to the indictment, Shaklian managed and submitted claims for seven health care providers enrolled with Medicare and located in Los Angeles County, including a hospice company she owned, Chateau d'Lumina Hospice and Palliative Care, and several diagnostic testing companies. From March 2019 to August 2024, these companies allegedly submitted more than $54 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for services that were never provided and not needed.

Shaklian allegedly laundered Medicare funds paid to Chateau by transferring them to accounts in the name of 'Varsenic Babaian,' a synthetic or fake identity. Alexsanian, on the other hand, allegedly directed a foreign national to open Saint Gorge Radiology and Console Hospice, and then provided control of those companies and their bank accounts to himself.

The indictment alleges that Alexsanian conspired with the foreign national and others to have Saint Gorge Radiology and Console Hospice submit fraudulent claims to Medicare for services not provided and then laundered the Medicare reimbursements they received, as well as funds deposited into their accounts through the 'Babaian' identity, and used them to buy more than $6 million in gold bars and coins.

Shaklian is charged with 16 counts of health care fraud and four counts of transactional money laundering, while Alexsanian is charged with one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and three counts of concealment money laundering.

If convicted of all charges, Shaklian would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each health care fraud count and up to 20 years in federal prison for each money laundering count. Alexsanian would face up to 20 years in federal prison for each count.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General and the FBI are investigating this matter.

Sophia Shaklian, REAL full name or legal entity name: Sophia Shaklian

Exact criminal charges: 16 counts of health care fraud and four counts of transactional money laundering

City and state: Los Angeles, California

Exact date with month/day/year: October 2, 2024

Sentence or outcome: If convicted, Shaklian faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each money laundering count; Alexsanian faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count

Dollar amounts: Over $54 million in fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare; over $23 million received for those claims; over $6 million in gold bars and coins bought

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/two-los-angeles-area-residents-arrested-indictment-alleging-scheme-fraudulently-obtain