A 45-year-old female doctor, Violetta Mailyan, has been convicted in the United States over a $45 million Medicare fraud scheme used to finance luxury vacations and expensive collectible purchases.
Mailyan, who operated Healthy Way Medical Center in Glendale, California, was found guilty by a federal court in Los Angeles on nine counts of wire fraud and three counts of obstructing a criminal healthcare investigation.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the doctor fraudulently billed Medicare for Botox injections that were either medically unnecessary, never administered, or falsely documented.
Authorities said the fraudulent claims exceeded $45 million.
Investigators disclosed that Mailyan billed Medicare for migraine-related Botox treatments on dates she was reportedly on vacation in locations including Cabo in Mexico, Maui in Hawaii, Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, and New York.
Prosecutors also alleged that some claims were submitted for treatments supposedly carried out when the clinic was closed or when patients were incarcerated in federal prison.
The Justice Department stated that Medicare typically reimburses Botox procedures only for documented chronic migraine treatment cases referred by physicians.
However, prosecutors said Mailyan falsely diagnosed patients and billed for thousands of treatments performed solely for cosmetic purposes or never carried out.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald said the convict attempted to conceal the fraud by fabricating medical records and patient consent forms to mislead federal investigators.
“She falsely diagnosed patients, fraudulently billed Medicare while on lavish vacations, and attempted to obstruct investigators with fake records,” McDonald said.
Authorities further revealed that the proceeds of the fraud were allegedly used to fund luxury lifestyles, including the purchase of a $3,000 painting of Ludwig I, Crown Prince of Bavaria, and a 17th-century crossbow valued at $12,000.
Mailyan, who described herself on social media as a “Botox filler nonsurgical nose cosmetic doctor,” now faces up to 20 years imprisonment on each wire fraud count and five years on each obstruction charge.
A date for sentencing has not yet been fixed.
