California Chiropractor Pleads Guilty To Healthcare Fraud

A California chiropractor recently pleaded guilty to defrauding Medicare. Houshang Pavehzadeh, a.k.a. “Danny Paveh,” a chiropractor from San Fernando Valley who was the second highest Medicare biller in California for chiropractic services, pleaded guilty to healthcare fraud in violation of federal statutes. He admitted that, between 2005 and 2012, he submitted bills to Medicare for patients he never treated.
In an eleven count indictment, Pavehzadeh is accused of submitting over $1.7 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. He is alleged to have received over $1 million from those false claim submissions. In his plea agreement with federal prosecutors, Pavehzadeh admitted that he attempted to conceal his fraud by setting up a false car-jacking outside his office and then telling police that his patient files were stolen.
“Those persons who seek to bilk the Medicare Program impact both our health care delivery system and the American consumer,” said United States Attorney André Birotte Jr. of the Central District of California. “Here, the defendant not only tried to bilk the system to the tune of more than $1.7 million, he also had the audacity to try and conceal his criminal activity by filing a bogus police report with the LAPD.”
“Health care fraud in and of itself is a serious offense. Not content to stop there, however, Mr. Pavehzadeh sought to conceal that crime by committing yet another — filing a false police report,” said Glenn R. Ferry, Special Agent in Charge for the Los Angeles Region of the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health of Human Services. “Those intent on breaking these laws should know that through the work of our special agents and auditors, OIG remains committed to seeking justice.”
Pavehzadeh faces a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised release.