Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes Announces 42 Indictments in Major Healthcare Fraud Crackdown as Part of National Takedow

Arizona AG Kris Mayes Announces 42 Indictments in Historic Healthcare Fraud Takedown | Medicaid Fraud Cases

PHOENIX, Ariz. — June 25, 2026

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, that her office has filed charges against 42 defendants across 10 separate cases in five Arizona counties as part of the coordinated 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The sweeping action targets fraudulent Medicaid billing, drug diversion, unlicensed medical practices, abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults, and related schemes that have exploited Arizona’s healthcare system and taxpayers.

The indictments represent one of the largest single-day enforcement actions by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office in recent years and build on prior efforts that have now resulted in charges against approximately 280 individuals in Medicaid fraud cases statewide.

The cases span fraudulent schemes and artifices, racketeering, theft, conspiracy, money laundering, identity theft, forgery, endangerment, criminal impersonation, sale of misbranded drugs, and unauthorized practice of health professions. Several involve serious allegations of patient harm, including manslaughter and negligent homicide.Key examples highlighted in the announcement and related reporting include:

• Meadows Catalina care home (Tucson area): Seven defendants, including Paula Fox, face multiple felonies for vulnerable adult abuse and neglect. Fox is charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of patient Holly Dale Given, allegedly due to systemic failures in care, including unaddressed falls.

• Lorraine P. Ferrante and Conscious Choice Birth Center (Snowflake): Charged with fraudulent schemes, identity theft, negligent homicide, and practicing midwifery without a license. The unlicensed practice from 2020–2025 is linked to the in-utero death of an unborn child on February 5, 2025.

• Irfan Fazil and Bio Family Clinic (Yuma): Charged with fraudulent schemes and artifices, illegal control of an enterprise (racketeering), theft, conspiracy, drug-related felonies, and money laundering. The operation allegedly defrauded Arizona’s AHCCCS (Medicaid) of millions of dollars between July 2025 and May 2026.

• Newstart Integrated Clinic and 18 co-defendants: Charged in a kickback/referral scheme that defrauded AHCCCS of more than $1 million between January and October 2023 by exploiting beneficiaries for improper referrals.

• Thomas Heard / Heard Health Care: Part of a significant fraud scheme (reported in excess of $30 million in some coverage) that exploited Native American clients. Allegations include billing for deceased individuals and inappropriate treatments (e.g., alcohol abuse treatment claims for very young children). Authorities have referenced a mansion raid and are seeking substantial restitution (around $32 million in one reported figure).

• Drug diversion and unlicensed practices: Cases include Peoria pharmacist Michael Maurice Jadda (charged with diverting Oxycodone, forgery, and related offenses); multiple individuals in Kingman (Slimming Grace clinic and The Pout Company) for unauthorized prescriptions, misbranded drugs, and unlicensed cosmetic procedures (e.g., lip fillers and Botox by Brandie Lee Dees and Michelle Renee Alderman); and Edgar Z. Torres in Nogales for unlicensed medical procedures and identity impersonation.

Many of the cases tie into the broader pandemic-era sober living and behavioral health fraud that has plagued Arizona, with some reports estimating nearly $3 billion in taxpayer losses from such schemes.

This Arizona action is part of a larger U.S. Department of Justice-coordinated National Health Care Fraud Takedown. Federally, authorities have charged hundreds of defendants nationwide in connection with billions in alleged false claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs. In Arizona alone, federal prosecutors separately announced cases involving over $1.2 billion in false or fraudulent claims, including substance abuse treatment billing and wound care allograft schemes.

“These 42 indictments — spanning fraudulent billing, drug diversion, unlicensed medical practice, and the abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults — show how tirelessly my office works to hold bad actors accountable,” Mayes said. “We will not stop until those who exploit our health care system are brought to justice.”

As of early June 25, 2026, the indictments are recent (unsealed or announced June 24), and investigations remain active. All charges are allegations; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. No immediate trial dates have been widely reported. The Attorney General’s Office continues to pursue additional cases in the ongoing Medicaid and healthcare fraud crackdown.This operation underscores Arizona’s aggressive stance against healthcare fraud, particularly schemes targeting vulnerable populations and public funds through AHCCCS.For official updates, visit azag.gov or follow the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

Arizona AG Kris Mayes Announces 42 Indictments in Historic Healthcare Fraud Takedown | Medicaid Fraud Cases

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announces 42 indictments across 10 cases in healthcare fraud crackdown, part of 2026 National Takedown. Details on manslaughter, drug diversion, unlicensed practice, sober living fraud, and AHCCCS scams. Latest updates June 2026.

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