Armenians living in United States are at center of multi‑billion‑dollar scandal – what really happened?

A major scandal recently erupted in Los Angeles, becoming the largest healthcare fraud in US history.

This case has drawn particular attention because law enforcement officials officially used the term “Armenian Organized Crime” to describe the network that targeted government medical programs.

According to law enforcement statements, the investigation revealed that the criminal group embezzled billions of dollars (reports cite figures ranging from $1.2 billion to even higher amounts) primarily from the Medicare and Medi-Cal programs.

On this high-profile topic, Alpha News spoke with Marina Samson, head of the Samson Law Firm.

“This is about medical service fraud. At the press conference of the US Attorney General, the names of Russian and Armenian criminal organizations were mentioned, which deceive the government, commit fraud and abuse. This involves billions in expenses,” she noted, adding that the penalties for the uncovered frauds can vary greatly.

Marina Samson also elaborated on whether this case is connected to the arrests that began in May 2025, when a conflict was exposed between groups led by Ara Artuni and Robert Amiryan, who, in addition to cargo theft, had also been involved in healthcare fraud.