A woman from the Larchmont area of Los Angeles, Sophia Shaklian, was sentenced on Mar. 24 to 35 months in federal prison for defrauding Medicare of more than $14 million through fraudulent hospice and diagnostic testing claims.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address health care fraud and protect public funds. Shaklian, age 38, was also ordered by United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. to pay $14,103,043 in restitution after pleading guilty in November 2025 to one count of health care fraud.
From March 2019 through August 2024, Shaklian and her co-schemers operated multiple sham hospice and diagnostic testing providers enrolled with Medicare. These included Chateau d’Lumina Hospice and Palliative Care in Pasadena as well as several diagnostic companies across Southern California. Prosecutors said they used the personal information of Medicare beneficiaries to submit claims for services that were either unnecessary or never provided at all.
Shaklian admitted that she submitted or caused others to submit false claims on behalf of these companies with the intent to defraud Medicare into reimbursing the sham providers. One example cited was a $2,000 claim filed in November 2022 for diagnostic testing purportedly provided but not actually performed.
Co-defendant Alex Alexsanian pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and faces sentencing next month with a statutory maximum sentence of up to twenty years.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California supports community outreach through programs focused on victim assistance and public education according to the official website. The office serves more than nineteen million residents across seven counties according to its official website and focuses on prosecuting federal criminal cases while handling civil matters for the government according to its official website. E. Martin Estrada has held the position of United States Attorney for this district according to its official website. The office works closely with law enforcement partners at all levels to ensure public safety.
The investigation into this matter is being conducted by the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the FBI.
