Federal Authorities Charge Individuals in Multi-Billion Dollar California Healthcare Fraud Schemes
Source reports published 23 Oct 2026, 4:17 am – 8:00 am AEST
Federal and state authorities have arrested 15 individuals and charged them with defrauding healthcare insurance programs for over $1.8 billion. The investigations involved fraudulent substance abuse programs, unnecessary medical procedures, and schemes targeting Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program.
What happened
- Federal authorities conducted predawn raids across Southern California on Thursday, resulting in the arrest of 15 individuals accused of operating extensive healthcare fraud schemes.
- These schemes involved a cardiologist, Dr. Harold Tabaie, and his partner, Hany Malek, who billed Medicare for unnecessary atherectomies and invasive arterial procedures.
- Additionally, Nathan Young and his father, David Young, were charged with operating a $1.6 billion substance abuse scam, recruiting vulnerable patients to fraudulent rehab centers and billing insurance companies for no treatment.
- Christina Mareik was charged for submitting bogus prescriptions for generic drugs to Medi-Cal.
- The investigations, led by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and the California Attorney General’s office, uncovered a range of fraudulent activities including recycling patients through facilities, administering sedatives to prevent patients from leaving, and fabricating PPP loan applications.
- The total alleged fraud amounts to over $4.5 billion across multiple schemes, highlighting a significant effort to combat healthcare fraud within California.
Original reporting
- Fox News: Federal authorities charge 15 in massive $1.8B Southern California medical fraud sweep
2026-10-22T18:17:20+00:00 - Washington Examiner: More than 100 arrested in $2B California healthcare fraud crackdowns
2026-10-22T22:00:52+00:00