Los Angeles Criminal Attorney Blog

Members of a crime ring based in New York and Los Angeles have been arrested for defrauding Medicare, according to The Wall Street Journal. It is the largest Medicare fraud operation in history.

The crime ring defrauded over $35 million from Medicare, starting in 2006. They submitted $100 million in fake bills, but only received $35.7 million in payments. Experts say Medicare has been especially vulnerable to fraud, although improvements have been made.

The criminals used doctor and patient identities to set up dozens of fake clinics across the country that were nothing more than post office boxes. The organization also stole the identities of these doctors and patients, including over 2,000 from a medical center in northern New York. Separate from this white collar crime, members of the group staged car accidents in order to submit claims to insurance companies.

The man behind the operation was a high-level organized crime figure from the former Soviet Union, arrested in Los Angeles. A total of 44 people were charged, although three remain at large. Most were members of a group from Armenia, but some of those arrested were doctors, lawyers and patients. Charges include health-care fraud, racketeering, identity theft, bank fraud and money laundering.

If you have been charged with a white collar crime in Los Angeles, contact Lawrence Wolf. As a skilled Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, Mr. Wolf will help you find the best possible defense for your case. To ensure that your rights are protected, call today at 866-390-7373 for a free consultation.

For the first time, companies are reporting they are losing more due to the electronic theft of data than from a physical stealing of assets, according to Reuters. A poll of over 800 senior executives showed that electronic theft is usually done by a company’s own employees. Fears over data theft are preventing many companies from expanding internationally.

Businesses lost $1.7 million per billion dollars of sales to fraud. China is the emerging market with the highest level of fraud. Ninety-eight percent of businesses in China are affected by fraud. Colombia has 94 percent of its businesses affected and 90 percent of Brazil’s businesses are affected.

Although electronic theft is at an all-time high, the physical theft of cash and business assets is by far the most widespread form of fraud. Physical theft accounts for 27.2 percent of fraud losses, and electronic fraud is 27.3 percent of losses.

Not surprisingly, firms that were information-based rather than products-based had the highest levels of electronic theft. The study found that the most likely employees to commit fraud are junior employees and senior management. Despite this big rise in electronic theft, less than 50 percent of companies are planning on boosting their spending on information security in the next year, which may be in part to the current economic climate.

Many people have the mistaken impression that a conviction for electronic theft has less serious consequences than a conviction for a crime relating to burglary or grand theft. However, stealing a company’s electronic assets is a very serious crime that can carry a harsh punishment. If you have been charged with a California theft offense, contact the Los Angeles theft crime defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf today at 866-390-7373. Our attorneys will help you navigate the criminal justice system as painlessly as possible.

Shockingly, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested one of their detectives on suspicions of workers’ compensation fraud on October 6, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The detective had been on the force for 15 years and was assigned to the major crimes division. He was arrested on seven counts of workers’ compensation fraud, perjury, and attempted grand theft. He was released after posting $120,000 bond. He could face almost nine years in prison and a fine of over $200,000 if convicted. He is confined to his home without pay.

According to prosecutors, when on disability leave from the police force for stress, the detective operated two private businesses. He also tried to get a lifetime disability pension. The case stems from a medical claim submitted by the detective in 2007. The Los Angeles workers’ comp fraud unit found proof that the detective knowingly lied in order to get benefits that weren’t due to him.

The detective is the second LAPD officer to be arrested for workers’ compensation fraud within two weeks. Another officer was arrested September 30 for a 2008 disability claim fraud.

Some people have the perception that white collar crime is not as serious as other types of crimes. This story illustrates that that perception is not reality – this detective could end up spending almost a decade in prison and paying a very large fine, in addition to being saddled with a criminal record for the rest of his life.

If you have been charged with a Los Angeles white collar crime, contact the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf. Our experienced Los Angeles fraud defense lawyers will strive to help you successfully navigate the criminal justice system. Call today at 866-390-7373 today for a free consultation on your case.

The Los Angeles Police Department recently teamed up with the FBI to solve dozens of homicides considered cold cases, all within three months of starting the program, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Due to California’s money problems, homicide detectives weren’t paid overtime, which meant fewer cases were solved. That’s when FBI assistant special agent Robert Clark, who is in charge of the FBI’s anti-gang program in L.A., stepped in. He offered to allow the LAPD to use the FBI’s extra agents to help with the unsolved homicides.

The joint operation was called “Operation Save Our Streets” and began July 1. The FBI allowed six agents, their vehicles and computers to work with the LAPD. In addition, the LAPD was allowed access to the FBI’s forensic lab and surveillance equipment. The FBI even gave the LAPD money to pay for the LAPD’s overtime costs, which allowed them to work longer on the unsolved homicides, rather than being forced to stop after reaching the standard number of hours in a work week.

Initially, the team focused on 13 homicides that had occurred recently and had strong leads. However, the project quickly expanded to include 78 homicides. The team was able to interview more than 250 suspects and witnesses and made 20 arrests. Some suspects were found to have died after committing the crimes.

If you or someone you know has been charged with or is under suspicion for committing a crime in Los Angeles, contact a highly skilled Los Angeles criminal defense attorney quickly. The Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf will work hard to defend your rights. Contact our aggressive lawyers today at 866-390-7373.