2 Lab Workers From Waltham Charged In Fraud Scheme: AG

Waltham MA

29 October, 2020

9:37 AM

Description

WALTHAM, MA — Four medical testing lab employees, including two from Waltham, have been charged in a scheme to defraud MassHealth, according to Attorney General Maura Healey. Healey said that a large part of the fraud involved referrals from two Brockton substance abuse clinics, whose owner had a stake in the Discovery Diagnostic Laboratory in Marlborough. The lab also billed MassHealth for millions in false claims for urine screens, according to Healey. Arnak Khachatryan, 42, of Waltham was charged on two counts of violating the laboratory self-referral statute, conspiracy to violate the laboratory self-referral statute, filing false Medicaid claims, filing false Medicaid reverse claims, conspiracy to commit larceny over $1,000, money laundering, assault and battery, witness intimidation and two counts of conspiracy. Suren Manukyan, 39, of Waltham was charged with witness intimidation and two counts of conspiracy. Diana Martirosyan, 41, of Sherborn was charged with violating the laboratory self-referral statute, filing false Medicaid claims, filing false Medicaid reverse claims, larceny over $1,200 obstruction and two counts of conspiracy. Hyak Kirakosyan, 44, of Sherborn was charged with assault and battery, witness intimidation and two counts of conspiracy. According to Healey, Khachatryan, who has a financial interest in the lab, referred urine tests from his Brockton treatment facilities, a violation of the state laboratory self-referral law. Khachatryan then hid the referrals through shell companies, Healey said. The assault charges stem from an incident where Khachatryan, Manukyan and Kirakosyan lured a former business partner to a cemetery and threatened to hurt him if he cooperated with Healey's investigation, she said. Khachatryan was arraigned in September, and Martirosyan, Kirakosyan and Manukyan were arraigned on Tuesday.