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 paid Ruiz for the false claims. Ruiz then made payments to Aguirre.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany M. Gunter is prosecuting the case.

Ruiz and Aguirre are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Jan. 20, 2026. Ruiz and Aguirre face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.