East Hollywood Doctor, Others Accused of Defrauding Medicare $32 Mil

Two Southland doctors and six others face charges in Los Angeles for their alleged roles in schemes to defraud Medicare of about $32 million, the U.S. Department of Justice announced today.

In one case, a doctor is accused of causing nearlyt $24 million in losses to Medicare through his own fraudulent billing and referrals for durable medical equipment, including more than 1,000 expensive power wheelchairs, and home health services that were not medically necessary and rarely provided, according to the DOJ.

The defendants charged in Los Angeles -- Dr. Jason Ling, Dr. Robert Glazer, Sylvia Ogbenyeanu Walter-Eze, Judith "Judith Bituin" Bangcayo Estrella, Wilmer David Guzman, Zoila O'Brien, Eucharia "UK" Okeke and Hakop Gambaryan -- are each charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and/or health care fraud.

Ling operated a medical clinic in Spring Valley; Glazer owned an East Hollywood clinic; Walter-Eze, Estrella and Guzman worked for a Valencia medical supply company; O'Brien worked for a Carson medical supply company;and Okeke and Gambaryan owned medical supply businesses in Inglewood and Van Nuys, respectively, according to the DOJ.

Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in Los Angeles and five other cities resulted in cases against a total of 90 people, including 27 doctors, nurses and other medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud schemes involving about $260 million in false billings, the DOJ reported.

--City News Service