9 Arrested in $50M Hospice Fraud Operation

Federal law enforcement agents arrested eight individuals Thursday in the Los Angeles area and one location in Idaho as part of Operation Never Say Die, a coordinated effort targeting an alleged $50 million healthcare and hospice fraud scheme. The operation, led by the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud under Vice President JD Vance, involved multiple agencies including the FBI and focused on fraudulent billing practices that exploited Medicare and Medicaid programs for vulnerable patients.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced the arrests during a news conference, stating that the defendants face charges related to nine separate investigations centered on hospice operations. Among those charged are Lolita Minerd, 65, of Anaheim, who operated Topanga Hospice Care and allegedly submitted $9.1 million in fraudulent claims over five years. Prosecutors said Minerd paid couples $300 monthly to enroll as patients despite not needing end-of-life care, resulting in Medicare reimbursing $8.5 million for unprovided services, including nutritional shakes, vitamins, and wheelchairs.

Gladwin and Amelou Gill, a doctor and psychologist from San Dimas, were arrested at their home in...