Armenian citizen pleads guilty in health care fraud scheme

Evidence shows man made hundreds of thousands of dollars in claims

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – An Armenian man pled guilty last week to his role in a health care fraud and money laundering conspiracy, the Department of Justice said.

Khoren Gasparian, 29, pleaded guilty last week to submitting false Medicare claims by phony medical businesses in the Savannah, Georgia area.

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"Investigating and prosecuting health care fraud is one of the top priorities of the Department of Justice. Those who try to rip off American taxpayers by submitting bogus claims to Medicare can expect to serve a lengthy sentence in a federal prison," said United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver.

According to evidence at the guilty hearing, from 2008 through 2010, Gasparian and others defrauded Medicare by opening several phony durable medical equipment companies in Savannah and stealing the identities of hundreds of Medicare beneficiaries and dozens of doctors.

Evidence showed Gasparian stole information to submit hundreds of thousands of dollars in bogus claims for health care services that were never provided. 

The evidence showed that Gasparian and others used the stolen identities of doctors and patients from numerous states, including Alaska, California, New York, and Ohio, and even submitted claims for people that were dead. 

Gasparian was also connected with at least two other phony health care businesses located in California and New Mexico, where he was responsible for approximately $1 million of fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare.

At the time, Gasparian was in the United States on an expired Visa.

He is currently serving a prison sentence based on his guilty plea to a health care fraud offense in the District of New Mexico.

For his plea in the Southern District of Georgia, Gasparian faces a maximum prison sentence of 5 years, and a fine up to $250,000. After he serves his prison sentences, he'll face deportation proceedings.