In Southern California, a Los Angeles woman and a San Fernando Valley man were arrested on Oct. 9 for allegedly defrauding Medicare more than $54 million through hospice, diagnostic testing services that were never provided, and laundered using gold bars and coins.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, 36-year-old Sophia Shaklian, of the Larchmont area of Los Angeles, and 47-year-old Alex Alexsanian, of Burbank, were charged on a 24-count federal grand jury indictment.

“Shaklian is charged with 16 counts of health care fraud and four counts of transactional money laundering,“ the office said. ”Alexsanian is charged with one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and three counts of concealment money laundering.”

Shaklian allegedly often used aliases to submit claims for seven health care providers enrolled with Medicare in Los Angeles County.

A business she owned, Chateau d’Lumina Hospice and Palliative Care in Pasadena, was listed in the indictment to have allegedly participated in the scheme. Several diagnostic testing companies, such as Saint Gorge Radiology, Hope Diagnostics, Direct Imaging & Diagnostics, Lab One, Labtech, and Lifescan Diagnostics, were also named.

The companies allegedly submitted more than $54 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for services that were never done and were unnecessary between March 2019 and August 2024. They received a total of more than $23 million for those claims, according to the indictment. Shaklian allegedly transferred Medicare funds paid to her company to an account with the fake name “Varsenic Babaian.”

Alexsanian allegedly conspired with a foreign national and others to open Saint Gorge Radiology and acquire Console Hospice. Together, they allegedly submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare and laundered the reimbursements, including funds deposited into their accounts under the ‘Babaian’ name. They purchased more than $6 million worth of gold bars and coins, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

It said Alexsanian had control of those companies and bank accounts, including the foreign individual’s bank account, and that the individual fled the country.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not respond to a request for comment by The Epoch Times, although it said the foreign national is a citizen of Ukraine and fled there.

The Epoch Times contacted the lawyers for Shaklian and Alexsanian but did not receive a reply by publication time.

If convicted, Shaklian faces a maximum of 240 years in prison and Alexsanian faces a maximum of 80 years.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General and the FBI are investigating the case.