The founder and former CEO of a drug addiction provider made a first appearance in court on Friday after being arrested for several federal accusations, including insurance fraud.
THE federal survey In the sovereign health group, which led several drug addiction centers in southern California has been underway since June 2017, when the FBI has made a descent into the sovereign treatment facilities, its head office in San Clemente and the Tonmoy Sharma home in San Juan Capistrano. The company finally closed its doors in 2018.
But even after closing, NBCLA surveys found that Tonmoy Sharma, the former CEO, operated an approved residential treatment center in San Juan Capistrano under the name of Dana Shores Recovery.
Sharma, who was arrested in Lax on Thursday afternoon, is accused of having submitted more than $ 149 million in fraudulent complaints to private insurance companies and accepted $ 21 million in illegal bribes for patients.
Federal prosecutors allege that Tonmoy Sharma has organized a sophisticated program and several years which billed health insurance companies on millions. Eric Leonard reports for NBC4 investigation at 5 p.m. on May 30, 2025.
Sharma was accused of four leaders of wire fraud, a conspiracy chief and three illegal remuneration chiefs for references to clinical treatment facilities.
“From 2014 to 2020, Sovereign billed private insurance companies for drug addicts and patients often at high rates and out of network”, the Ministry of Justice said in a press release. “In the direction of Sharma, sovereign employees aggressively pursued patients through various forms of marketing, ordering patients to contact the company at their telephone number at no cost.”
Federal officials also allege that when potential patients have called to find out about Sovereign Health services, employees have distorted their services and costs, telling potential patients that their treatment would be paid for by donations by a dummy foundation.
The organization, which federal investigators call a “cunning” for sovereign employees, would use private patient information, including social security numbers, to order unnecessary tests and treatments without authorization from the doctor, said the Ministry of Justice.
“Sovereign has also submitted many complaints to insurance companies, including urine analysis tests, after doctors no longer worked at Sovereign,” said the Federal Agency.
Another Survey by NBCLA Also noted that sovereign health had reached a regulation of $ 11 million with the Brandon Nelson family after committing a suridide to the Sovereign processing establishment in San Clemente.
Nelson’s parents said only in 2024 only after Brandon’s death, they made the scope of the false promises of sovereign.
“He was marketed as” he will have 24/7 surveillance of psychologists, a house director, psychiatrists would come. They would have group therapy. “The note has been provided.
Paul Jin Sen Khor, 45, from Irvine, who managed Sovereign finances, was also arrested this week for conspiracy and illegal remuneration for references to clinical treatment facilities. Khor filed a deposit of $ 200,000 after pleading not guilty.
If it is convicted, Sharma would risk a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud.
Sharma and Khor risk up to five years in federal prison for the counting of the conspiracy, and up to 10 years in federal prison for each number of illegal remuneration.