Six California men charged with running a crime ring that stole nearly $2 million from federal and private health insurers were arrested recently in connection with an interagency effort against health care fraud. Deputy District Attorney Celia Politeo of the Organized Crime Division said the defendants collectively face 62 counts of conspiracy to commit a crime, money laundering and grand theft of personal property. The alleged crimes occurred between March 2005 and September 2006.
Karapet Khacheryan, 37 (dob 08/11/70), Hovik Joe Altunyan, 30 (dob 12/08/77), Edkar Mikirtijyan, 25 (05/20/82), Grigor Khorikyan, 29 (dob 07/12/78), Vahan E. Harutyunyan, 32 (10/23/75) and Smbat Khachtryan, 26 (dob 06/24/81) are charged in case No. BA338353.The case – referred to the District Attorney’s Office by ICE’s Office of Investigations in Los Angeles and the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General – began as a drug and money laundering investigation, later expanding to include health care fraud.
The men were taken into custody by federal authorities from residences in North Hollywood, Glendale and Van Nuys. A seventh suspect was taken into custody for an unrelated gun charge. Search warrants also were executed at two business locations in Burbank. Of those named in the case, the highest number of charges faced by a single defendant is 31 counts.
All defendants face special allegations that the offenses set forth involved fraud and embezzlement with a pattern of related felony conduct and the taking of more than $500,000, and that the defendants took, damaged and destroyed property with losses exceeding more than $1 million. The District Attorney’s Office will seek restitution from the defendants, the prosecutor said.
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