Doctor implicated in ‘biggest COVID-19 relief fraud’ receives $150M.
In what the U.S. Attorney’s Office is calling the “largest fraud scheme” targeting a COVID-19 program for uninsured patients, an Orange County, California, doctor was charged Sept. 27 with an 18-count indictment for submitting false claims and receiving around $150 million in payments.
In what the U.S. Attorney’s Office is calling the “largest fraud scheme” targeting a COVID-19 program for uninsured patients, an Orange County, California, doctor was charged on September 27 with an 18-count indictment for submitting false claims and receiving approximately $150 million in payments.
Anthony Hao Dinh, 64, from Newport Coast, has been charged with 12 counts of wire fraud, five counts of money laundering—two of which involved transferring over $11 million to personal stock trading accounts—and one count of obstructing justice, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office released on September 28.
Mr. Dinh allegedly submitted false patient reports in response to a grand jury subpoena in order to cover up the false claims.
He could face up to 50 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
Mr. Dinh allegedly submitted over $250 million in claims for services not provided or not covered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) COVID-19 Uninsured Program.
The millions he received, as an ear, nose, and throat specialist and facial plastic surgeon, were supposedly for services to insured patients that were either not rendered or not medically necessary between July 2020 and March 2021 in his offices located in Westminster and Garden Grove.
The indictment also claims that he submitted, or caused to be submitted, approximately 65 false loan applications totaling nearly $8 million, resulting in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) programs granting around $2.8 million in funds.
Mr. Dinh is scheduled to be arraigned on October 30 at the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana.
In April, two others were charged in connection with the money laundering scheme. They are Mr. Dinh’s sister, Hannah “Hang” Trinh Dinh, 65, of Lake Forest, and Matthew Hoang Ho, 66, of Melbourne, Florida.
Ms. Dinh has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and assisting in the submission of false applications for PPP and EIDL, resulting in over $260,000 in COVID-19 relief funds.
Mr. Ho is scheduled to stand trial on February 6, 2024. He was charged on May 2 with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in relation to PPP and EIDL applications.
Did the doctor pleads guilty in Beverly Hills?
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