Seven Southern California residents accused of fraudulently billing insurance companies for $98 million in workers’ compensation claims have been indicted by a Riverside County grand jury.
“Heidary instructed his employees to purposely conduct batteries of unnecessary tests including MRIs and sleep studies with the intent of billing insurance companies an amount well beyond what was medically necessary or indicted,” authorities wrote in a court document seeking a higher bail and a hearing to ensure defendants didn’t post bail with illegally obtained money.
Heidary, 45, and attorney Cary Abramowitz, 59, of Los Angeles, were charged in 2014 and pleaded not guilty. Two others — Erica Torres, 33, of Riverside, and Michael Angel Tuosto Jr., 64, of Long Beach — have pleaded guilty and await sentencing. The second indictment charges chiropractor Touba Pakdel-Nabati, 38, of Costa Mesa; general practitioner Quynam Nguyen, 57, of Orange; and psychiatrist Jason Yang, 50, of Pasadena, with 38 felony counts, including conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, making a false insurance claim, making a false statement for the purpose of obtaining workers’ compensation benefits and capping. All three are employed by Heidary, according to court records.
Torres was office manager of a law office and cooperated with Heidary in presenting workers comp cases for submission to the state workers’ compensation board, according to court records. Tuosto was described in records as someone who recruited injured workers for the scheme.