A woman from Los Angeles has pleaded guilty to her involvement in a scheme that defrauded Medicare of over $54 million through unprovided hospice and diagnostic testing services. Sophia Shaklian, 38, entered her plea on March 20, 2024, to a single count of health care fraud, which carries a potential maximum sentence of ten years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Sentencing for Shaklian is set for March 24, 2024. Her co-defendant, Alex Alexsanian, 48, from Burbank, is scheduled to face trial in February. Last year, Shaklian was charged in federal court in Los Angeles with 16 counts of health care fraud and four counts of transactional money laundering. Alexsanian faces charges including one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and three counts of concealment money laundering.
Prosecutors revealed that Shaklian, often using aliases, administered and submitted claims for seven health care providers enrolled with Medicare in Los Angeles County. These providers included a hospice company she owned, alongside several diagnostic testing businesses. From March 2019 to August 2024, the companies submitted fraudulent claims totaling more than $54 million for services that were neither rendered nor necessary, receiving over $23 million in payouts.
Shaklian allegedly laundered the funds by moving them into accounts associated with a fictitious identity. Court documents indicate that Alexsanian directed a foreign national to establish a radiology clinic and acquire Console Hospice in Van Nuys. He purportedly ensured control over these companies and their bank accounts, along with the foreign national’s personal accounts.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the conspiracy involved the clinic and Console Hospice submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare for services that were never delivered. The laundered Medicare reimbursements were reportedly used to purchase over $6 million in gold bars and coins.
If convicted, Alexsanian could face up to 20 years in federal prison for each charge he faces, as noted by prosecutors. This case highlights the ongoing issues with health care fraud, particularly in relation to Medicare, and the efforts of authorities to combat such schemes.
