Federal agents stormed a Southern California home early Thursday, marking a dramatic escalation in a widening crackdown on alleged healthcare fraud.
The FBI, working alongside Health and Human Services, raided the residence of Amelou Gill and Gladwin Gill, owners of St. Francis Palliative Care in Anaheim, in connection with an alleged $7 million fraud scheme.
Authorities say the operation is part of a broader federal push targeting abuse in California’s hospice system, tied to a fraud task force backed by Vice President JD Vance.
The arrest unfolded in high-profile fashion.
FBI SWAT agents reportedly cut through the couple’s metal front gate and ordered them out over loudspeakers before taking them into custody.
The case raises fresh questions about oversight in a sector that handles some of the most vulnerable patients.
Data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services showed the hospice reported a mortality rate of just 2.3% over five years — an unusually low figure for end-of-life care providers.
Officials say the problem may be far broader than a single facility.
Mehmet Oz said federal regulators have already suspended “hundreds” of hospice licenses across California.
“In 10 weeks we’re getting close to what Governor Newsom did in four years,” Oz said, underscoring the scale and speed of the crackdown.
The raids follow an investigation that uncovered a network of questionable billing practices tied to multiple providers.
One focal point: Dr. Fariba Javaherian, a dermatologist linked through billing records to 63 hospice facilities statewide.
According to CMS data, her National Provider Identifier was tied to 1,662 patients and more than 6,000 claims totaling over $35.8 million.
Following scrutiny, CMS revoked her ability to bill Medicare and suspended at least 16 hospice agencies associated with her.
“Dr. Javaherian’s white coat was a costume,” Oz said — while noting she has not been formally accused of wrongdoing.
He went further, suggesting the scale of potential abuse could reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars over time.
“We’ve suspended hundreds of hospices today,” Oz added, noting he was present during Thursday’s raid.
The sweeping enforcement action signals a major federal effort to rein in what officials describe as systemic vulnerabilities in hospice billing — and a willingness to use aggressive tactics to do it.
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