Recent deaths due to prescription overdoses, and
complaints from devastated loved ones and law enforcement agencies, led to a
multi-agency investigation and search warrants served Thursday in the San
Fernando Valley.
Throughout the western United States, suspects were caught trying to fill bogus Oxycontin prescriptions that had been obtained from four Valley clinics. Others were caught trafficking in large quantities of Oxycontin filled using prescriptions obtained at the four clinics in Reseda, Northridge, and Van Nuys.
Meanwhile, numerous legitimate patients said their identities had been stolen through medical care identity theft. They reported that prescriptions had been filled in their names, and then billed to Medicare. The billings were credited against the legitimate Medicare patient’s medical histories, resulting in records indicating that they were using part of their limited allowance.
The clinics were connected to incidents or investigations in nearly every large county in California, as well as Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
The investigation includes allegations of false claims resulting in Medicare fraud, and illegal kickbacks to Medicare beneficiaries who sold the use of their Medicare card to prescription drug dealers. Medicare was also billed for medical services that were never performed.
"The majority of the criminal activity involved the prescription drug Oxycontin," said Sgt. Steve Opferman, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. "Oxycontin is an opiate and highly addictive prescription pain killer."
Throughout the western United States, suspects were caught trying to fill bogus Oxycontin prescriptions that had been obtained from four Valley clinics. Others were caught trafficking in large quantities of Oxycontin filled using prescriptions obtained at the four clinics in Reseda, Northridge, and Van Nuys.
Meanwhile, numerous legitimate patients said their identities had been stolen through medical care identity theft. They reported that prescriptions had been filled in their names, and then billed to Medicare. The billings were credited against the legitimate Medicare patient’s medical histories, resulting in records indicating that they were using part of their limited allowance.
The clinics were connected to incidents or investigations in nearly every large county in California, as well as Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
The investigation includes allegations of false claims resulting in Medicare fraud, and illegal kickbacks to Medicare beneficiaries who sold the use of their Medicare card to prescription drug dealers. Medicare was also billed for medical services that were never performed.
"The majority of the criminal activity involved the prescription drug Oxycontin," said Sgt. Steve Opferman, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. "Oxycontin is an opiate and highly addictive prescription pain killer."
Sgt. Opferman, assigned to the multi-jurisdictional Health Authority Law Enforcement (HALT) Task Force said, "The investigation included undercover investigators who purchased prescription drugs just by presenting false identification at the clinics. No medical examinations were ever performed."
Search warrants were conducted Thursday, September 1, at four "prescription mills" (clinics) by the task force and the clinics were shut down. Two clinics were located on the 7000 block of Reseda Blvd in Reseda, one on the 8600 block of Reseda Blvd. in Northridge, and one on the 8100 block of Van Nuys Blvd. in Van Nuys.
Two arrests were made at the Northridge clinic.
One suspect was arrested for possession of 23 vials including over 2,000 pills with a street value of about $40,000.00. A second suspect was arrested with false identification used to fill fraudulent prescriptions. Their names were not released.
The HALT Task Force includes investigators with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Department of Health, California Department of Health Care Services, and U.S. Health and Human Services Department.
Also involved in this major investigation were investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Monterey Park Police Department, California Department of Justice, California Medical Board, California Labor Commission, and Drug Enforcement Administration.
While serving the search warrant, investigators collected computers, financial records and patient’s records.
Evidence and facts are being reviewed, including possible allegations against multiple doctors, clinic managers, office employees, cappers (recruiters), and drug dealers. The charges could include felony state and federal offenses ranging from drug trafficking to health care fraud and tax fraud.
(213) 989-7039 - Health Authority Law Enforcement Task Force
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