10 to Plead Guilty in Kickback Case
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Three personal injury attorneys, six chiropractors and a law office administrator have agreed to plead guilty to federal mail fraud charges in connection with a kickback scheme involving lawyers and health care providers, the U.S. attorney’s office said Thursday.
The lawyers charged in the scheme demanded kickbacks from health care providers in exchange for sending them clients, said Assistant U.S. Atty. Maurice M. Suh.
He said the health care providers paid the lawyers up to half of their share of successfully settled insurance claims.
Those charged are attorneys Gil Magno, 47, of Carson, Arnaldo Capote Jr., 50, formerly of El Monte, and Francine Needles, 47, of Cerritos; chiropractors Fethi Shami, 36, of Los Angeles, Carlos Seals, 42, of Los Angeles, Walter Dubowski, 52, formerly of Glendale, Edward Shellmire, 54, of Gardena, Danny Wong, 35, of Los Angeles, and Otha McKinney, 54, of Apple Valley; and law office administrator Edward R. Ruzin, 40, of West Hills.
The defendants could receive a maximum of five years in prison, except for Capote and Needles, who could be sentenced to up to 10 years behind bars.
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