Doctor Among Seven Arrested In $3.2 Million California Hospice Fraud Case
India-West News Desk
OAKLAND, CA- Physician Shomir Banerjee is among seven individuals arrested and charged in connection with an alleged hospice fraud scheme in Monterey County, California, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced.
Banerjee, identified as a medical director, is one of three doctors charged in the case, alongside hospice owners and a nurse, following a multi-year investigation into fraudulent billing of Medi-Cal and Medicare programs.
According to the California Department of Justice, the investigation uncovered a conspiracy involving Spiritual Touch Hospice, Compassionate Touch Hospice, and Fountain Hospice. Officials said the defendants owned, operated, or worked across the three hospice companies simultaneously and fraudulently enrolled patients who did not have terminal illnesses.
Investigators said some patients were unaware they had been placed in hospice care or that hospice services were intended only for the terminally ill. To avoid detection, patients were allegedly transferred among the three hospice companies after six months while fraudulent billing continued.
The Department of Justice said the scheme resulted in losses totaling $3,211,419.79 to Medi-Cal and Medicare.
On January 30, 2026, the Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse filed felony charges in Monterey County Superior Court against Nimfa Molina, a head nurse; Luis Artavia, Mark Samonte, and Shomir Banerjee, all medical directors; and hospice owners Danny Lodevico, Flor Mora, and Christine Nugiud-Yem. The charges include false or fraudulent claims, conspiracy to commit a crime, and aggravated white-collar crime enhancements.
