L.A. County Chiropractors Charged In $2.5M Insurance Fraud Scheme

Los Angeles CA

15 June, 2021

3:24 PM

Description

LOS ANGELES, CA — A dozen chiropractors across Los Angeles County were charged Tuesday in a $2.5 million insurance fraud scheme involving medical claims related to car collisions. The group faces nine felony counts, including defrauding around 30 insurance companies of more than $500,000, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. The group's alleged ringleader, Yury Chernega, 49, of Studio City also faces four separate counts of insurance fraud and one count of money laundering. "Defrauding insurance companies is a serious crime that costs all of us in the form of higher premiums," L.A. District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. "We will continue to work with local, state and federal regulators to protect consumers from financial crimes." In addition to Chernega, the other defendants in the scheme are: Edith Coronado-Grande, 57, of Glendora Lon Segal, 65, of Los Angeles Bruce Householder, 49, of Burbank Christine Elvine, 51, of Arcadia Luzan Madain, 46, of Canyon Country Payam Shayan, 51, of Tarzana Arash Noor, 41, of Los Angeles David Soloway, 51, of Brea Gilberto Gomez, 72, of Los Angeles Omid Okhowat, 51, of Los Angeles Alexander Royzman, 49, of Granada Hills All but Royzman are expected to be arraigned June 29. The scheme lasted from 2014 to 2019 and would reportedly involve Chernega offering to refer new patients who were allegedly involved in car collisions to the other chiropractors, prosecutor said. In return, he would be paid with an illegal referral fee. Chernega reportedly made around $2.5 million through the scheme. The group is also accused of filing false medical claims for services that were never provided to their patients, according to the district attorney's office. Chernega is also involved in a separate illegal referral scheme with 14 other chiropractor involving $6 million in referral fees, authorities said.