California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced the sentencing of Oscar B. Abrons III, a Southern California healthcare clinic operator, for his role in a scheme that defrauded Medi-Cal of over $20 million. The Orange County Superior Court sentenced Abrons to four years in jail and acknowledged that the loss to Medi-Cal exceeded $20 million. A restitution hearing will determine the exact amount owed by Abrons.
Abrons’ co-conspirators, Steven Derrick Fleming and Mohamed Waddah El-Nachef, have already been sentenced. Fleming received a five-year state prison sentence, while El-Nachef was given a five-year local custody sentence and surrendered his medical license. The California Department of Justice’s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse (DMFEA) prosecuted these cases.
Attorney General Bonta stated, “When healthcare operators take advantage of Medi-Cal for personal gain, not only are they stealing from taxpayers, but they are also undermining the health and trust of our communities.” He emphasized that such unlawful behavior would not be tolerated and assured continued efforts to ensure Medi-Cal services reach those who need them most.
Fleming and Abrons operated an unlicensed clinic called God’s Property, where they paid Medi-Cal beneficiaries cash in exchange for obtaining unnecessary prescriptions for HIV medications, antipsychotics, and controlled substances. These were then sold on the illicit market. From June 23, 2014, to October 1, 2016, El-Nachef became the top prescriber of HIV medications in California as part of this scheme.
The DMFEA aims to protect Californians by investigating and prosecuting abuse, neglect, and fraud against elderly and dependent adults in the state and fraud against the Medi-Cal program.
The division receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant totaling $69,244,976 for Federal fiscal year 2025. The remaining funding comes from the State of California.
