News

DA News Conference: $5 Million Fraud Ring Busted

$5 Million Fraud Ring Busted

When you think of auto theft, you might think of vehicles being hot-wired and stolen off the street, brought into ‘chop shops’ and sold for parts. But beginning in December 2017, investigators with the San Diego Regional Auto Theft Task Force (RATT) began looking into a massive auto theft scheme of a different kind. The investigation […]

Office Manager Convicted of 51 Felony Counts in Massive Patient Referral Scam

Settlement Reached with AutoZone for Illegal Disposal of Hazardous Waste

From August 2013 through September 2015, District Attorneys’ offices throughout California conducted 56 inspections of dumpster bins at 49 separate AutoZone facilities. These investigations found numerous instances of unlawful disposal of hazardous waste including batteries, aerosol cans, electronic devices, and hundreds of discarded bottles and other receptacles containing automotive fluids and other regulated hazardous waste. […]

News Conference DA Works With Banks, Credit Unions to Remind Employees to Report Financial Elder Abuse

DA Works With Banks, Credit Unions to Remind Employees to Report Financial Elder Abuse

When Marlene Ruiz, a bank employee for over 30 years, noticed that her elderly and wheelchair-bound client was falling victim to an obvious scam, she intervened and was able to prevent the victim from having thousands of dollars stolen from his bank account. Marlene’s story is just one example of financial elder abuse and exploitation […]

Gavel. Medical Office Manager in Massive Insurance Fraud Sentenced

Medical Office Manager in Massive Insurance Fraud Sentenced

The San Diego County District Attorney’s prosecution of Operation Backlash, a large scale, undercover, joint federal and state investigation into multi-million dollar fraud and illegal kickbacks in the California workers compensation has moved forward as another defendant in the state’s case was sentenced.  Operation Backlash is the largest healthcare insurance fraud scheme in the history […]

Photo of dentist chair and tools. Story: Dentist Charged for Fraudulently Billing Insurance Companies

Dentist Charged for Fraudulently Billing Insurance Companies

A Mira Mesa dentist, April Rose Ambrosio, 58, fraudulently billed multiple insurance companies $592,550 claiming she performed 623 root canals on 75 patients. Ambrosio, who was arraigned in San Diego Superior Court today on 75 counts of insurance fraud, billed eight insurance companies for nearly $600,000 and ultimately received more than $200,000. Ambrosio’s deception involved […]

Statewide Charter School Scheme Stole More Than $50 Million in Public Funds

Statewide Charter School Scheme Stole More Than $50 Million in Public Funds

An Australian national, who is a charter school operator in the U.S., and his Long Beach business partner, conspired to siphon more than $50 million from the State of California for years according to a grand jury indictment. As part of a wide-ranging scheme, the defendants sought out small school districts with limited experience in […]