Sophia Shaklian of Los Angeles and Alex Alexsanian of Burbank, Calif., were arrested on an indictment alleging that they planned to defraud Medicare out of more than $54 million.
According to an Oct. 9 Department of Justice release, Ms. Shaklian, often using aliases, managed and submitted false claims for seven healthcare providers enrolled with Medicare in Los Angeles County. This included Pasadena, Calif.-based Chateau d'Lumina Hospice and Palliative Care. She also owned several diagnostic testing companies in the region, including St. Gorge Radiology in Sylmar, Hope Diagnostics in Los Angeles, Direct Imaging & Diagnostics Lab One in Los Angeles and Lifescan Diagnostics in Claremont.
Between March 2019 and August 2024, these companies allegedly submitted over $54 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for services that were never provided nor needed. Ms. Shaklian and Mr. Alexsanian received over $23 million for the false claims.
The pair then allegedly laundered these funds by purchasing $6 million worth of gold bars and coins and by transferring funds into different accounts under "Varsenic Babaian," a false name.
Mr. Alexsanian allegedly directed another individual, a foreign national, to open St. Gorge Radiology and to acquire Console Hospice in Van Nuys, another Medicare provider. The foreign national then gave control of their own bank accounts, the companies and the company bank accounts to Mr. Alexsanian. He colluded with the foreign national, who soon left the country, to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare through the companies, launder the funds received and deposit them into bank accounts under the Babaian identity.
Ms. Shaklian is charged with 16 counts of health care fraud and four counts of transactional money laundering. Alexsanian is charged with one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and three counts of concealment money laundering.
If convicted of all charges, Ms. Shaklian would face a statutory maximum of 10 years in federal prison for each count of healthcare fraud and up to 20 years in prison for each money laundering count. Mr. Alexsanian would face up to 20 years in federal prison for each count.