California Doctor Convicted in $45 Million Medicare Botox Fraud, Facing Up to 20 Years
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 19
California Doctor Convicted in $45 Million Medicare Botox Fraud, Facing Up to 20 Years
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 19
Federal jurors convicted Glendale doctor Violetta Mailyan, 45, of nine wire-fraud counts and three obstruction counts in a scheme that submitted more than $45 million in false Medicare Botox claims.
DOJ analysts flagged her as an extreme outlier after Medicare paid her more than $24 million in four years—about six times the next-highest provider group, which consisted of neurologists.
Prosecutors said Healthy Way Medical Center billed for medically unnecessary, cosmetic or nonexistent migraine treatments, including injections allegedly given while Mailyan was traveling, when the clinic was closed, or when a patient was in federal prison.
Jurors also found a Tesla Model X, a Cybertruck, multiple bank accounts and four California properties forfeitable as fraud proceeds; prosecutors said scheme money also funded luxury trips and collectibles including a $12,000 17th-century crossbow.
Mailyan has not yet been sentenced and faces up to 20 years per wire-fraud count and five years per obstruction count.
A doctor scammed Medicare for $24 million. How did the system fail to notice for four years?
What drives a trusted doctor to commit multi-million dollar fraud for a lavish lifestyle?
With AI now catching massive medical scams, how can the system be rebuilt to prevent them entirely?