SAN LUIS OBISPO –  Investigators with the Department of Consumer Affairs’ (DCA) Division of Investigation arrested an Atascadero man and his wife October 22, after the two failed to show up in court the previous day on charges of insurance fraud and grand theft.

Aaron A. Marquis, 46,  and his wife, Anja Marquis, 38, are the owners of a hearing aid business and are accused of fraud.  Aaron Marquis allegedly  represented himself as an audiologist when according to DCA he is not, while his wife, the office manager, billed insurance companies for thousands of dollars for audiology tests he conducted.

In March 2013, both Aaron and Anja Marquis were charged with several counts of insurance fraud and grand theft. They pleaded not guilty to the charges in April. Both were scheduled to appear in court on additional charges October 21.  They have since been booked into the San Luis Obispo County jail after a judge increased their bail to $1 million.

An order freezing the Marquises’ assets was issued by the judge on October 10, 2013.

“I’m sure this came as a shock to his clients,” said Alan Barcelona, president of the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA).  CSLEA represents DCA investigators along with nearly 7,000 other law enforcement, public safety and consumer protection professionals who work for the State of California.  “So many Californian’s are unaware of the DCA Division of Investigation and the work these skilled investigators do year-round and state-wide to protect consumers from fraud.  No one wants to trust to their health to an imposter.”

Aaron Marquis is licensed by the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board as a hearing aid dispenser which is much different from a licensed audiologist. 

According to DCA, Marquis also circulated business cards stating that he holds a Ph.D. in audiology, advertised he has a Ph.D., and that he could bill for both audiological services and hearing aids. DCA investigators determined Marquis does not have a Ph.D. in audiology and is not a licensed audiologist.

The Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board will pursue revoking Marquis’ license.