California Doctor Convicted $45M Medicare Fraud

Violetta Mailyan, a 45-year-old California doctor, has been convicted by a federal jury on nine counts of wire fraud and three counts of obstruction of a criminal investigation. She was found guilty of orchestrating a $45 million scheme to defraud United States — Medicare by submitting false and fraudulent claims for Botox injections that were medically unnecessary, never provided, or administered for cosmetic purposes. Mailyan, who owned and operated Healthy Way Medical Center, used the illicit funds to finance a lavish lifestyle, including luxury vacations and expensive collectible goods like a $12,000 17th-century crossbow. The fraud was uncovered by the United States — United States Department of Justice's Health Care Fraud Section's Data Analytics Team, which identified her as an extreme outlier in United States — Medicare Botox payments. Mailyan also attempted to conceal her crimes by altering patient medical records to mislead investigators. She faces up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count and five years for each obstruction count, with a sentencing date set for September 10, 2026. Prosecutors are also seeking the forfeiture of her assets, including properties, bank accounts, and vehicles like a Tesla Model Y and a Tesla Cybertruck.