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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.
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.