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Armenian National Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Role in Scam

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  • Armenian National Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Role in Scam

    Justice Department Documents and Publications
    May 18, 2012


    Armenian National Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Role in $1
    Million Health Care Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme

    SECTION: FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION PRESS RELEASES

    Armenian National Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Role in $1
    Million Health Care Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme
    U.S. Attorney's Office May 18, 2012
    *Southern District of Georgia (912) 652-4422

    BRUNSWICK, GA-Sahak Tumanyan, 42, was sentenced Wednesday by Chief
    United States District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood to five years in
    prison for his role in a health care fraud and money laundering
    conspiracy in which more than $1.5 million was stolen from Medicare
    through a phony medical business in Brunswick, Georgia.

    United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver said, "The defendant's cohorts
    stole over $1 million of taxpayer dollars from Medicare. Then, the
    defendant helped launder the ill-gotten gains through an intricate
    series of phony businesses. Our team of federal prosecutors, agents,
    and auditors will follow the trails of stolen money so that organized
    criminals such as these will be held accountable for their fraudulent
    schemes."

    Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Region for
    the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human
    Services, said, "This sentence sends a clear-cut message to organized
    crime groups that infiltrate our nation's health care system to steal
    from the taxpayers. The Office of Inspector General will continue to
    work closely with our law enforcement partners to bring these criminal
    enterprises to justice."

    Brian D. Lamkin, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office,
    stated, "The FBI remains committed to identifying, investigating, and
    presenting for prosecution those individuals such as Mr. Tumanyan who
    would launder stolen federal funds from programs such as Medicare.
    While the FBI dedicates extensive investigative resources to these
    matters, we also ask for the public's assistance in bringing forward
    any instances of health care fraud, to include Medicare and Medicaid
    fraud, to the appropriate authorities."

    Tumanyan, who was in the United States on an expired Visa from Armenia
    and who resided in Los Angeles until the time of his arrest in this
    case, previously pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy
    charge. According to the evidence presented at the guilty plea and
    sentencing hearings:

    Brunswick Medical Supply was a fraudulent medical equipment provider
    that was opened in Brunswick in 2007. Associates of Tumanyan
    fraudulently obtained a Medicare provider number for this phony
    businesses, stole the identities of hundreds of Medicare
    beneficiaries, stole the identities of dozens of doctors, and used
    this stolen information to submit millions of dollars in phony claims
    for health care services that were never provided. Medicare paid
    approximately $1.5 million for these fraudulent claims before
    Brunswick Medical Supply was shut down. Tumanyan then took numerous
    steps to launder the money stolen from Medicare. Tumanyan opened at
    least four sham businesses in Los Angeles; opened multiple bank
    accounts in the names of these businesses; and used these bank
    accounts to launder the proceeds of the fraud at Brunswick Medical
    Supply. The evidence also showed that Tumanyan helped launder hundreds
    of thousands of dollars of other money stolen through various schemes
    to defraud, such as identity theft, check kiting, and other health
    care fraud schemes.

    In addition to a five-year prison sentence, the court ordered Tumanyan
    to pay restitution to Medicare in the amount of $308,963, and to serve
    three years of supervised release. After Tumanyan finishes serving his
    prison sentence, he will face deportation proceedings.

    The prosecution of Tumanyan was part of a multi-jurisdictional
    investigation involving more than $100 million worth of phony claims
    submitted to Medicare. More than 35 defendants were charged as part of
    this investigation in Brunswick, Georgia; New York; Los Angeles;
    Cleveland; and Albuquerque. The investigation in the Southern District
    of Georgia was the result of a multi-agency team of federal, state,
    and local agents led by the FBI; the Department of Health and Human
    Services, Office of the Inspector General; and Homeland Security
    Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorney Brian T.
    Rafferty prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. For
    additional information, please contact First Assistant United States
    Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.

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