Various federal fraud and theft schemes prosecuted in the United States

Law enforcement agencies across the United States have dismantled several distinct fraud and theft operations involving federal benefits, stolen property, and online scams.

In California, Dr. Violetta Mailyan was sentenced to 15 years in prison for a $45 million Medicare fraud scheme. Mailyan used her clinic to bill for unnecessary or unperformed Botox treatments, often while she was traveling abroad.

Multiple SNAP and EBT benefit theft cases have been identified. In New York, eight individuals were indicted for a $7 million scheme involving cloned nutrition benefit cards and luxury vehicle purchases. In Florida, Anwar Jouda was arrested for allegedly diverting over $862,000 in food assistance, with some funds reportedly wired to the West Bank. In Indiana, Luis Rodolfo Valero Aldana agreed to plead guilty to a $95,000 scheme involving the manufacture of fraudulent EBT cards.

Other significant criminal cases include a $5 million high-end vehicle theft ring in New England involving Onix Eduardo, and a New Hampshire pawn shop owner, Michael Smith, who pleaded guilty to selling $750,000 in stolen property. Additionally, Kimani Bracey of South Carolina was sentenced to prison for operating a website that sold fake documents used to obtain pandemic relief funds.