OIG - Office of Inspector General

09/22/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/23/2025 07:56

Fresno County Podiatrist and Sales Representative Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Submit False Claims Related to Skin Grafts

Fresno County Podiatrist and Sales Representative Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Submit False Claims Related to Skin Grafts

Felipe Ruiz, 51, of Fresno, and Jose Gabriel Aguirre, 52, of Clovis, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, Ruiz was a podiatrist at West Coast Podiatry Inc. (WCP), a podiatric medical practice with locations in Fresno, Madera, and Stanislaus Counties. Aguirre was a sales representative that sold skin grafts to Ruiz and WCP. Between June 2021 and January 2024, Ruiz purchased skin grafts from Aguirre and permitted Aguirre, who was not a licensed health care provider, to apply the skin grafts to Medicare and Medi-Cal beneficiaries. Ruiz and Aguirre subsequently submitted claims to Medicare and Medi-Cal that falsely represented that Ruiz had applied the skin grafts to the beneficiaries, when Aguirre had actually rendered the services. As a result, Medicare and Medi-Cal.

Read more on https://www.justice.gov

Action Details

  • Date:September 22, 2025
  • Agency:U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California
  • Enforcement Types:
    • Criminal and Civil Actions

Share

OIG - Office of Inspector General published this content on September 22, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 23, 2025 at 13:56 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]