Updated: 9:42 PM PDT July 13, 2021
CHULA VISTA, Calif. A Chula Vista couple admitted in federal court Monday to conspiring to defraud hundreds of pregnant Mexican nationals and causing over a million dollars in losses to California s Medi-Cal health program.
Melissa Alvarez Torres, 33, and Jose Luis Olmos Hernandez, 36, advertised their insurance company through Facebook under the name Seguros Americanos Embarazo (American Pregnancy Insurance). Alvarez and Olmos falsely claimed that their insurance would allow these pregnant women to legally give birth in the United States and cover the costs associated with the births.
The couple used the women s personal information to sign them up for Medi-Cal benefits without their knowledge or consent. The couple then submitted hundreds of applications using the women s personal information, false tax and employment documents, and fraudulently identifying them as California residents, according to the U.S. Attorney s Offi
According to an affidavit filed in federal court, many of the women sought coverage through the company because they had high-risk pregnancies and considered U.S. hospitals to be safer.
The defendants unwittingly used the women s personal information to sign them up for Medi-Cal benefits, despite the fact that the women were not eligible because they weren t California residents, according to the U.S. Attorney s Office.
The women were charged thousands of dollars a piece for the insurance and around 250 fraudulent applications were submitted as part of the scheme, according to court documents, which stated many of the women reported having no intention of signing up for government-funded benefits because they knew doing so would violate the conditions of their visas.
SAN DIEGO
A Chula Vista couple admitted Monday to a fraud scheme that targeted pregnant women in Mexico and led to more than $1 million in losses to California’s Medi-Cal system, San Diego federal prosecutors said.
Melissa Alvarez Torres, 33, and Jose Luis Olmos Hernandez, 36, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. They each face up to 20 years in federal prison when they are sentenced in October by U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, the San Diego U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The couple has agreed to pay $1.5 million in restitution to the state and the women. Their defense attorneys declined comment Monday afternoon.