Today, Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire announced criminal charges against two individuals in Tennessee as part of the Department of Justice's 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The accused are involved in an alleged scheme to defraud Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield by billing for inpatient hospital services that were not provided.
"Our office will vigorously pursue those who would defraud American taxpayers by these illegal health care fraud schemes," said McGuire. "The charges announced today are just our latest effort to crack down on health care fraud in the nation’s health care capital."
Attorney General Pamela Bondi emphasized the seriousness of this operation: "Today’s record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown sends a crystal-clear message to criminal actors... we will find you, we will prosecute you, and we will hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law."
The national enforcement action led to charges against 324 defendants across various regions for their involvement in fraudulent activities totaling over $14.6 billion in false billings and illegal drug diversion schemes involving over 15.6 million pills.
In Tennessee, Xuhan Zhang, also known as "Shelia Zhang" or "Xuhan Mei," aged 62, and Jing Qi Mei, aged 65, both from Hendersonville, face multiple charges including conspiracy to commit health care fraud and money laundering. They allegedly billed approximately $20 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield between 2017 and 2025.
"The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented," stated HHS-OIG Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins. "Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes."
The Middle District of Tennessee collaborated with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) for this investigation.
An indictment remains an allegation until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
