California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced the sentencing of Oscar B. Abrons III, a Southern California healthcare clinic operator, for his role in a prescription medication diversion scheme that defrauded Medi-Cal of over $20 million. Abrons received a four-year jail sentence from the Orange County Superior Court. A restitution hearing will determine the exact amount owed by Abrons.
Abrons’ co-conspirators, Steven Derrick Fleming and Mohamed Waddah El-Nachef, have already been sentenced. Fleming was given five years in state prison, while El-Nachef received a five-year local custody sentence and surrendered his medical license. The California Department of Justice’s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse (DMFEA) prosecuted these individuals.
Attorney General Bonta stated, “When healthcare operators take advantage of Medi-Cal for personal gain, not only are they stealing from taxpayers, but they are also undermining the health and trust of our communities.” He emphasized the commitment to ensuring that Medi-Cal services reach those in need and holding accountable those who exploit the program.
Fleming and Abrons operated an unlicensed clinic named God’s Property where they paid Medi-Cal beneficiaries to obtain unnecessary prescriptions for HIV medications, antipsychotics, and controlled substances. These were then sold on the illicit market. From June 23, 2014, to October 1, 2016, El-Nachef became the top prescriber of HIV medications in California due to this scheme.
The DMFEA aims to protect Californians by investigating fraud against elderly and dependent adults as well as fraud on the Medi-Cal program. It receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant totaling $69,244,976 for Federal fiscal year 2025. The remaining funding comes from the State of California.
