Anthony Hao Dinh, a 64-year-old ENT and facial plastic surgeon from Newport Coast, was charged with 18 counts of defrauding the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) COVID-19 Uninsured Program. If he is convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud and three of the money laundering charges, up to 10 years for two of the money laundering charges, and up to 20 years for the obstruction of justice charge.

Fraud Scheme Made a Quarter of a Billion Dollars

Allegedly, Dinh submitted more than $250 million in claims and received about $150 million in payments for services that were either not provided or not covered by the program. Originally, he was charged in a criminal complaint on April 10, 2023, but his indictment from September 2023 expanded on that case significantly.

In fact, in this new case, the amount of fraudulent claims Dinh allegedly submitted to HRSA has been increased. This means that the counts of money laundering charges and additional schemes to defraud pandemic relief programs have increased. Dinh is also charged with obstructing the government's investigation into his healthcare billing practices.

As of now, Dinh has been charged with 12 counts of wire fraud, five counts of money laundering, and one count of obstruction of justice. Additionally, from July 2020 to March 2021, Dinh supposedly submitted fraudulent claims for the treatment of uninsured patients, services that were not actually provided, and services that were not medically necessary.

The COVID Uninsured Program was created to stop the spread of COVID-19 by giving uninsured patients access to testing and treatment and providing financial support to healthcare providers fighting the pandemic. In addition to his charges that relate to the Uninsured Program, Dinh's indictment also alleges that he submitted about 65 fraudulent loan applications for either PPP or EIDL payments for nearly $8 million. 

How a Skilled Attorney Can Help

If you or someone you love has been accused of fraudulently applying for COVID relief funds, Attorney Vitaly Sigal of Sigal Law Group can help. Call 818-325-0571 today or schedule a free consultation online.