Insurance Fraud

On the eve of the expected announcement of a record $35-million fine against Prudential Insurance Co. by a group of states, the California Insurance Department said Monday that thousands of Californians might be among the victims of life insurance fraud by the company.

The state Department of Insurance has filed 22 counts of felony insurance fraud against Newport Beach chiropractor Todd Adams. The department said that he allegedly tried to bill insurers for treatments he never provided. Adams, 46, of Costa Mesa surrendered to authorities Wednesday and was arraigned after a $25,000 warrant was issued for his arrest, the state said. Adams fraudulently billed insurers for $5,663 and forged patients' signatures, the state alleged.

A former senior administrator at UCI Medical Center testified Thursday that her superiors, including the school's chancellor and the legal counsel, were informed in 1992 that there were serious improprieties within UC Irvine's once-vaunted fertility clinic. The testimony of Stephany Ander, who began a two-day deposition, appears to contradict statements by UCI Chancellor Laurel L. Wilkening, who has said her office was unaware of problems in the clinic until 1994 at the earliest. Dr. Ricardo H.

Two doctors were found guilty of offering illegal kickbacks in return for patient referrals, prosecutors said Friday. Dr. Norton Hering, owner of the Jefferson Medical Group in Santa Ana, and Dr. Jose Fermin, the group's office administrator, were convicted Thursday on felony charges of paying rebates for unlawful patient procurement, Deputy Dist. Atty. Michael Lubinski said.

A former chief biologist testified Thursday that when she left UC Irvine's fertility clinic in 1994, she made copies of hundreds of confidential patient files as "insurance" should the clinic director try to "blackball" her in the future. Teri Ord, 39, who worked under Dr. Ricardo H. Asch for more than a decade, told attorneys during a second day of deposition that she decided to copy records showing egg and embryo transfers simply to have leverage against Asch, whom she suspected of wrongdoing.

A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy was arrested at his home for allegedly working as a private helicopter pilot while collecting work-related disability benefits, authorities said Thursday. Aaron Egger, 32, has been charged with insurance fraud and perjury for allegedly working while on stress leave from his post as a deputy at the Pitchess Detention Center and for allegedly lying about his employment during a deposition, Deputy Dist. Atty. Marcia Daniel said.

A Garden Grove physician Friday was convicted of insurance fraud for writing up phony diagnoses and billing insurance companies for bogus services, the district attorney said. Danh Cong Truong, who owned and operated the Brookhurst Medical Clinic in the 14400 block of Brookhurst, was also convicted by an Orange County Superior Court jury of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, according to prosecutors.

A Canyon Country man was charged with multiple counts of theft and insurance fraud Tuesday for overbilling repairs at his Sun Valley auto-repair shop, Los Angeles City Atty. James Hahn announced. Larry Paul Boland, 64, is accused of allegedly overbilling Mercury Casualty Insurance Co. for windshield repairs at his Lankershim Boulevard business, D & L Auto Glass, according to Deputy City Atty. P. Greg Parham.

An insurance adjuster is suspected of filing phony claims in the names of Northridge earthquake victims and bilking their insurer of nearly $135,000. The adjuster, Robert Charles Granito, 53, was arrested at his Laguna Hills home early Thursday, according to Candysse Miller, spokeswoman for the state Department of Insurance.

A Laguna Hills insurance claims adjuster is suspected of filing phony claims in the names of Northridge earthquake victims and bilking their insurer of nearly $135,000. The adjuster, 53-year-old Robert Charles Granito, was arrested at his home early Thursday, according to Candysse Miller, spokeswoman for the state Department of Insurance.