Medical Assistant Pleads Guilty to Multiple Charges in Health Care Fraud Scheme

Judy Azar, a medical assistant based in Los Angeles, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court, Central District of California, on September 24, 2021, to health care fraud, bank fraud, identity theft and tax fraud. Our investigation found that Azar participated in a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs by using false and fraudulent pretenses in connection with the delivery of, and payment for, health care benefits and services. Azar forged a doctor’s signature to fraudulently authorize prescription refills and then sold a portion of the filled prescriptions to interested buyers. The buyers paid Azar with checks made payable to the doctor. Azar then forged the doctor’s signature to endorse the checks, which were then deposited in bank accounts controlled by Azar. As a result of the scheme, Amtrak’s insurance providers were fraudulently charged approximately $13,500.