• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
CSLEA

California Statewide Law Enforcement Association

My union, My Choice!

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Join CSLEA
  • 24/7 LDF Hotline
  • About
    • About CSLEA
    • CSLEA Foundation
      • Scholarships
    • Legal Team
    • Board Officers and Directors
    • CSLEA Affiliates
    • Member Services Staff
    • Advocacy Consultants
    • Communications Division
  • News and Media
    • Working For You
    • News
    • Monthly Alert Newsletter
    • CSLEA Videos
    • CSLEA Mobile App
    • Communications Division
  • Membership
    • Join CSLEA
    • Member Benefits
    • Membership Insurance Programs
    • Exclusive Member Discounts
    • Member Resources
    • Supervisors & Managers Benefits
    • Member Information Services
    • Member Services Staff
  • Legal
    • LDF 24-Hour Hotline
    • Legal Defense Fund
      • LDF Team
      • LDF Plan Attorneys
      • LDF Plan Description
    • Legal Team
    • Legal Representation Committee
    • Admonishment Statement
    • Peace Officer Bill of Rights
    • Legal Victories
    • Know Your Rights
    • Legal FAQs
  • Advocacy
    • Current Legislation
    • Legislative Update
    • Legislative Request Form
    • PAC Endorsements
    • General Election Results
    • Advocacy Consultants
  • Contact Us
    • Address Update
    • Beneficiary Information Update
  • Join CSLEA
  • LDF 24-Hour Hotline
Search

Affiliate News

ASA-DOJ

Logo

Two Arrested in $2 Million Medi-Cal Fraudulent Billing Scheme

A California DOJ Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse and FBI investigation

Posted on April 5, 2018

LOS ANGELES –  On April 3, 2018, two executives at a Los Angeles substance abuse treatment company were arrested on charges that allege they defrauded the Medi-Cal program by submitting bills seeking more than $2 million for services that did not qualify for reimbursement or simply were never provided.

Mesbel Mohamoud, 45, and her mother-in-law, Erlinda Abella, 63, both of Inglewood, were named in a 23-count indictment that charges both defendants with 21 counts of health care fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft in relation to the scheme that allegedly ran from 2009 through 2015.

“Fraudulent billing by unscrupulous individuals in the medical and health industry is extremely troubling,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  “Fortunately, California has special agents assigned to the Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse who can use, and lend their investigative expertise to other agencies, to put a stop to this crime.”

Mohamoud is the owner and executive director of The New You Center (TNYC). Abella, who co-founded TNYC with Mohamoud in 2005, is the program director at the company. TNYC had contracts to provide medically necessary substance abuse treatment services through the Drug Medi-Cal program to adults and teenagers in Los Angeles County.

The indictment alleges that TNYC submitted false and fraudulent bills for counseling sessions that were not conducted at all, were not conducted at authorized locations, or did not comply with Drug Medi-Cal regulations regarding the length of sessions or the number of patients. Furthermore, Mohamoud and Abella allegedly caused TNYC to bill for clients who did not have a substance abuse problem, to falsify documents related to services supposedly provided to clients, and to forge client signatures on documents such as sign-in sheets.

The indictment alleges that TNYC submitted more than $2 million in false and fraudulent claims for group and individual substance abuse counseling services and was paid more than $1.8 million based on these bills.

If convicted of the charges, Mohamoud and Abella each would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each of the 21 health care fraud charges. Additionally, there is a two-year mandatory sentence associated with each of the aggravated identity theft counts.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse.

  •  Share on Facebook
  •  Share on X
  •  Share on LinkedIn
  •  Share via Email

Primary Sidebar

  • ASA-DOJ
    • Affiliate News
    • View All Affiliates
  • About
    • About CSLEA
    • CSLEA Foundation
      • Scholarships
    • Legal Team
    • Board Officers and Directors
    • CSLEA Affiliates
    • Member Services Staff
    • Advocacy Consultants
    • Communications Division

Footer

  • About
    • About CSLEA
    • CSLEA Foundation
    • Legal Team
    • Board Officers and Directors
    • CSLEA Affiliates
    • Member Services Staff
    • Advocacy Consultants
    • Communications Division
  • News and Media
    • Working For You
    • News
    • Monthly Alert Newsletter
    • CSLEA Videos
    • CSLEA Mobile App
    • Communications Division
  • Membership
    • Join CSLEA
    • Member Benefits
    • Membership Insurance Programs
    • Exclusive Member Discounts
    • Member Resources
    • Supervisors & Managers Benefits
    • Member Information Services
    • Member Services Staff
  • Legal
    • LDF 24-Hour Hotline
    • Legal Defense Fund
    • Legal Team
    • Legal Representation Committee
    • Admonishment Statement
    • Peace Officer Bill of Rights
    • Legal Victories
    • Know Your Rights
    • Legal FAQs
  • Advocacy
    • Current Legislation
    • Legislative Update
    • Legislative Request Form
    • PAC Endorsements
    • General Election Results
    • Advocacy Consultants
  • Contact Us
    • Address Update
    • Beneficiary Information Update
  • Join CSLEA
  • LDF 24-Hour Hotline

CSLEA is a Member Association of PORAC

Download the CSLEA Mobile App
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2023 California Statewide Law Enforcement Association. All Rights Reserved.
Website designed and developed by 911MEDIA.