Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney Blog

Published on: August 19, 2012

Los Angeles Medicare Fraud Analysis: How and when should academics be punished?

A provocative article by author Jon Wiener in the August 7 issue of The Nation magazine raises intriguing questions about Los Angeles Medicare fraud. Specifically, Wiener asks whether academics who indirectly create/perpetuate medical fraud in Southern California and elsewhere should be punished. And if so, how?

Wiener’s editorial concerns recent GlaxoSmithKline healthcare fraud charges. The giant drug maker pled guilty on July 3rd and agreed to pay out approximately $3 billion in connection with promoting antidepressant pharmaceuticals for uses that had not been approved. At the center of the case was a medical journal article that seemed to give Paxil a pass. The article essentially said Paxil was safe and effective for helping children with depression.

The authors who contributed to the article included Dr. David Feinberg, the head of UCLA’s hospital. But a Department of Justice investigation found out that the pharmaceutical company had paid for that journal article – which critics said “dangerously misrepresented dangers and [hid] information indicating that the drug promoted suicidal behavior among teenagers.”

Published on: August 14, 2012

Defendants of Medicare Fraud in Los Angeles Beware: What Happened to Irina Shelikhova Can Happen to You!

by Michael Kraut

If you’ve been charged with the crime of Medicare and Medical fraud in Los Angeles, here is what not to do:

Do not ignore your charges and flee the country!

This advice should be obvious enough, but 49-year-old Irina Shelikhova, who’s suspected in a giant $70 million Medicare fraud scam in New York City, chose to ignore this common sense.

Published on: August 9, 2012

A Sad (But Stunning) Conclusion for Suicidal Los Angeles Lewd Conduct Defendant

by Michael Kraut

A dramatic car chase on a Southland freeway ended with the arrest of a 51-year-old phys ed teacher accused of lewd conduct in Los Angeles.

Late last Tuesday afternoon, 51-year-old Kip Arnold, eight-year veteran of a Southeast Middle School in South Gate, was approached by police officers, who were prepared to arrest him for committing lewd acts with a former student. (Investigators say that the student was female and that there might have been multiple other victims).

Rather than co-operate, Arnold told the officers “I’m not stopping; I’m suicidal.” Then he rolled up his window and hit the gas. He fled his Lakewood home onto the freeways, forcing the California Highway Patrol to shut down both the 405 and the 110. Eventually, Arnold got off PCH in Wilmington and drove west. CHP officers diligently pursued and eventually stopped him using something called a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver.

Published on: August 6, 2012

$7 Million in Los Angeles Medicare Fraud Verdict: How Much Will You Have to Pay?

by Michael Kraut

51-year-old Camillus Ehigie, a Nigerian owner of a Southland medical supply company, has been ordered to pay $7 million, after being convicted of Los Angeles Medicare fraud charges.

U.S. judge Stephen Wilson also sentenced Ehigie to 42 months in a federal prison for his attempt to bilk Medicare out of $20 million. Together with 49-year-old Evans Oniha of Rancho Palos Verdes, Ehigie had operated a home health agency, Prosperity Home Health Services, Inc. and another company, Caravan Medical Supplies.

In 2011, Oniha was convicted of four Los Angeles healthcare fraud counts, one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, and another count of making false statements. Oniha was hit with an eight-year prison sentence back in February and compelled to pay a significant portion of the $7 million restitution. According to prosecutors, Oniha and Ehigie attempted to con Medicare by hiring outside marketers to solicit information from beneficiaries. They then leveraged fraudulent prescriptions and medical equipment documents to bill the federal government for services never provided.

Published on: August 3, 2012

Not So Petty Theft in Los Angeles: Bold Thief Takes Jillian Michaels’ Bentley for a Joyride and Leads Police on a Wild Goose Chase

by Michael Kraut

It was a not so petty theft case in Los Angeles: 29-year-old Gerjuan Deshon Harmon broke into reality TV star Jillian Michaels’ home in Malibu, pilfered her purse and 2001 Bentley, and then tried to outrun police in the stolen luxury vehicle, only to smash the car, and fight with the cops before getting arrested.

Michaels was home when the burglary occurred and she didn’t notice that her luxury vehicle or purse was stolen until the following day. After Michaels reported the theft to police, officers in Burbank found the missing Bentley and chased Harmon, who smashed up the car, fled the wreck, and eventually succumbed to arrest after putting up a fight.

Per the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office: Harmon now faces a slew of unpleasant charges, including:

Published on: July 26, 2012

Hopefully Your Los Angeles Lewd Conduct Story Is Not As Sad As This Situation (Police Officer Gives 15-Year-Old an Unwanted “Sex Exam”)

by Michael Kraut

If you’re charged and convicted of a sex crime or lewd conduct in Los Angeles, not only can you face jail time and penalties, but you can also be forever “tarred and feathered” with the sex offender label.

That said, not all lewd conduct charges are equal – not by a long shot. Some cases — like the case of the recently widely publicized case of the Southland teacher who abused a whole classroom of elementary school children for months — are horrendous in their implications. But other lewd conduct cases — like those of the 19 men busted in a sting at a Manhattan Beach restroom users (which we blogged about a few months ago) — are not in the same league, much less the same ballpark.

And still other cases are just really sad and disappointing.

Published on: July 22, 2012

Say It Ain’t So, Fred! Comedian Fred Willard Busted for Lewd Conduct in Los Angeles: Fans Everywhere Are Aghast

by Michael Kraut

Last Wednesday, comedian Fred Willard was arrested for lewd conduct in Los Angeles, after he was caught masturbating at the Tiki Theater in Hollywood. Willard, who’s known for his roles in movies like Best in Show, This Is Spinal Tap, and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, has agreed to participate in a pre-filing diversion program (cost of about $380) to clear the charges.

The arrest came as a shock to the 72-year-old actor’s fans. Many in the media have been comparing his situation to what happened nearly 20 years ago to comedian, Paul Rubens (a.k.a “Pee-Wee” Herman), whose career was devastated after he was similarly caught masturbating in a movie theater.

Intriguingly, a Los Angeles prosecutor said that this was not Willard’s first encounter with a Los Angeles lewd conduct charge. Back in 1990, the actor was arrested for similar charges, although prosecutors did not report details to the media.

Published on: July 20, 2012

Medicare Fraud in Los Angeles News Alert: PA Man Faces 23-count Indictment in $5.4 Million Scheme

by Michael Kraut

Are you under investigation for committing Medicare fraud in Los Angeles or elsewhere throughout the Southland?

If so, you may find it instructive to read about the disappointing case of William V. Hlushmanuk, also known as “Bill Le,” a 35-year-old ambulance driver in Pennsylvania who has been charged with trying to defraud Medicare out of over $5.4 million, from 2006 to 2011. Last week, an indictment against Hlushmanuk was unsealed, hitting him with 21 charges of healthcare fraud on top of aiding and abetting in a false statement and conspiring to commit healthcare fraud.

Hlushmanuk, who had a criminal record, created a “straw owner” to open a service called Starcare Ambulance to transport kidney dialysis patients. These patients had the capacity to walk, so Medicare should not be required to pay for their transportation, but Hlushmanuk apparently worked out a scheme to bill the government anyway.

Published on: July 14, 2012

Los Angeles Petty Theft News: Stolen Bike Found Via Twitter, But Not Everyone’s Happy About The Outcome

by Michael Kraut

Petty theft in Los Angeles or elsewhere is an interesting animal, as far as crimes are concerned.

Understand that if you steal a valuable item worth less than $400, you can still face plenty of reprobation per California law. Indeed, if you are convicted of two counts of petty theft in Southern California, the second conviction can actually elevate the offense to a felony, and you could end up spending a whole year behind bars or worse!

So shoplifting and other types of petty theft can be punished quite egregiously.

Published on: July 12, 2012

Medical Identity Theft in Los Angeles Can Cost Victims $100,000+, Says New Study

by Michael Kraut

Medical identity theft bonks the U.S. economy to the tune of over $41 billion and costs victims over $20,000 on average, according to a provocative new study by the Ponemon Institute.

If you’ve been charged with Medicare fraud or identity theft in Southern California, you might find it educational to learn about what happens to victims of medical identity theft. Perhaps, for instance, you aided and abetted someone – that is, lent your healthcare information to a family member or sick friend – and now you face criminal charges. The study out of Michigan looked at 757 cases of medical identity theft. Here are some of the stats:

• 41% of victims lost their coverage and had to find new healthcare;