Attorney General Bonta Secures Sentencing of Southern California Healthcare Operator for Medi-Cal Fraud

ORANGE COUNTY – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the sentencing of a Southern California healthcare clinic operator, Oscar B. Abrons III, for his involvement in a prescription medication diversion scheme that defrauded Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, of more than $20 million. Abrons was sentenced by the Orange County Superior Court to four years in jail and stipulated that the loss to the Medi-Cal program exceeded $20 million. A restitution hearing will be held to determine the loss amount owed by Abrons. Abron’s co-conspirators, Steven Derrick Fleming and Mohamed Waddah El-Nachef, were previously sentenced. Fleming was sentenced to five years in state prison, and El-Nachef was sentenced to a five-year local custody sentence and surrendered his medical license. The prosecution of these individuals was carried out by the California Department of Justice’s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse (DMFEA).

“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,” said Attorney General Bonta. “We will not tolerate this unlawful behavior and will continue to ensure that Medi-Cal services are delivered to those who need them most and hold any individual or entity accountable that exploits this program.”

Fleming and Abrons jointly operated God’s Property, an unlicensed clinic where Medi-Cal beneficiaries were paid cash in exchange for obtaining medically unnecessary prescriptions for HIV medications, antipsychotics and controlled substances, which were then sold to buyers on the illicit market. Fleming and Abrons, alongside Mohamed Waddah El-Nachef, an Orange County medical doctor, carried out the diversion scheme from June 23, 2014, to October 1, 2016. During this time, El-Nachef became the top prescriber of HIV medications in the state. As a result of the scheme, Medi-Cal suffered an estimated loss of over $20 million. 

DMFEA works to protect Californians by investigating and prosecuting those responsible for abuse, neglect, and fraud committed against elderly and dependent adults in the state, and those who perpetrate fraud on the Medi-Cal program.

The Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $69,244,976 for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2025. The remaining 25 percent is funded by the State of California. FY 2025 is from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025.  

A copy of the sentencing minutes are available here.