Federal authorities on Tuesday charged 10 Southern California defendants in a series of healthcare fraud schemes, including one case involving nearly $270 million in fraudulent Medi-Cal claims and another that allegedly defrauded Medicare out of approximately $27 million.The charges were part of the Justice Department's broader "2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown," which resulted in charges against 455 defendants nationwide in schemes involving more than $6.5 billion in alleged fraud.Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche described the operation as "the greatest combined federal and state effort in combating healthcare fraud in history.""Fraudsters can no longer rip off American taxpayers," Blanche said during a news conference announcing the initiative."If you seek to harm or cheat Americans, we will find you, seize any assets and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."FBI ADDS 2 FUGITIVES TO 'MOST WANTED FRAUDSTERS' LIST AMID HISTORIC $6.5B HEALTHCARE TAKEDOWN: PATELActing Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks during a news conference announcing what federal officials described as the largest healthcare fraud takedown in U.S.
history, resulting in charges against 455 defendants nationwide.(Ken Cedeno / AFP via Getty Images)In the Central District of California, federal prosecutors brought criminal charges against 10 defendants accused of defrauding government-funded healthcare programs or abusing their positions as medical professionals to illegally prescribe controlled substances.The U.S.
Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said five individuals were arrested in the greater Los Angeles area for allegedly participating in a scheme that involved submitting nearly $270 million in fraudulent claims to Medi-Cal for expensive prescription drugs.Among those charged was Christina Mareik, 61, also known as Christina Marie Sanchez Hernandez, of Whittier.HOSPICE FRAUD USES STOLEN IDENTITIES FOR FAKE PATIENTSThe Justice Department announced...