Public Safety
Feds charge 15 in Los Angeles health-care fraud takedown
Federal prosecutors announced charges against 15 people, including six medical professionals, in Southern California cases alleging nearly $2 billion in losses.
The Justice Department said Thursday that the cases target alleged schemes involving substance-abuse treatment centers, hospices and surgical practices. At least eight defendants were arrested, according to The Associated Press.
Defendants charged: 15
Medical professionals: Six
Arrests announced: At least eight
Alleged losses: Nearly $2 billion
Cases span treatment, hospice and surgical billing
Federal prosecutors said the largest alleged scheme involved a network of purported addiction-treatment centers that billed more than $1.5 billion for services investigators say were never provided.
Another case alleges that a Tarzana chiropractor and an Anaheim surgeon profited about $134 million through medically unnecessary surgeries. Both men were charged as part of the takedown.
The filings are criminal allegations, not findings of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Official source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California — October 22, 2026 →
Original reporting: The Associated Press — October 22, 2026 →