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Doctor Funds Lavish Life With $45M Botox Fraud
19 May
Summary
- Doctor convicted of $45 million in false Medicare claims.
- Fraudulent Botox injections funded luxury vacations and purchases.
- Altered medical records to mislead investigators and conceal fraud.
A federal jury convicted Dr. Violetta Mailyan, 45, of Glendale, California, for orchestrating a scheme that defrauded Medicare of more than $45 million through false claims for Botox injections. The operation was flagged due to Mailyan being an extreme outlier, receiving significantly more Medicare payments for Botox than any other doctor nationwide.
Mailyan's scheme involved billing for medically unnecessary or entirely fabricated Botox treatments, including instances where she was on luxury vacations or the clinic was closed. She also altered patient records to deceive investigators. The illicit funds were used to finance a lavish lifestyle, purchasing luxury items and properties.
Following her conviction on nine counts of wire fraud and three counts of obstruction, assets linked to the fraud, including vehicles and properties, are subject to forfeiture. Mailyan faces a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years per wire fraud count.
