9 August 2005 – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – Two brothers f rom Rancho Palos Verdes w ere convicted today of federal health care fraud charges for billing two government health insurance programs for drugs their pharmacies never dispensed.
Mohammadali Abolahrar, 34, and Reza Abolahrar, 36, w ere found guilty of
conspiracy and 20 counts of health care fraud.
The 21 charges in the indictment w ere based on the Abolahrars’ operation of
two pharmacies, Bayview Pharmacy in Redondo Beach, w hich they ow ned and
operated from about 1995 unt il 1998, and Roxbury Pharmacy, near Beverly Hills,
which they ow ned and operat ed f rom 1998 through 2001. The evidence presented
during a four-w eek trial show ed t hat the pharmacies billed t he state Medi-Cal
program and the federal Tricare program for prescription drugs that they did not
provide.
The two pharmacies received a large amount of business f rom the liver
transplant unit at the UCLA Medical Center, w hich w ould fax prescriptions to the
pharmacies on behalf of liver transplant patients. Over time, the amount of
medication a pat ient w ould need w ould decrease. The pharmacies provided that
lesser amount to t he liver t ransplant pat ient s, but they of ten w ould bill Medi-Cal
and Tricare for a larger amount. The Abolahrars also billed the programs for drugs
not prescribed to patients, and for drugs that had been discontinued by the doctors.
