Fugitive Who Operated San Fernando Valley Chiropractic Clinic Indicted on Federal Health Care Fraud and Identity Theft Charges

LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury has named an Encino-based chiropractor in a 15-count indictment that accuses him defrauding health care programs by submitting more than $300,000 in fraudulent bills for office visits that never took place and for medical equipment that was never provided.

Yoav Stein, 39, who until about a year ago resided in Encino, was indicted yesterday in a scheme that allegedly defrauded several health care plans, including the National Railroad Passenger Corporation’s (Amtrak) health care plan.

According to the indictment, Stein participated in corporate health care fairs, where he induced employees to provide insurance information by offering Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulus units for no “out-of-pocket costs.” Armed with the employees’ insurance information, Stein allegedly submitted fraudulent claims to health care plans.

The indictment charges Stein with 13 counts of health care fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court.

Stein is currently a fugitive believed to be in Israel.

If he were to be convicted of the charges in the indictment, Stein would face up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the health care fraud counts, as well as a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence for aggravated identity theft.

This case is a product of an investigation by the Amtrak Office of Inspector General and United States Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration.