SAN DIEGO - A federal grand jury indictment charges a mother and daughter with conspiring to defraud Medicare by billing millions of dollars for wound care services while the mother-the licensed nurse practitioner listed as the provider-was serving time in federal prison.

The charges are part of the Department of Justice's 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.

According to the indictment, Blanca Estela Cardenas, a San Diego nurse practitioner and owner of Mobile Care Medical Providers, LLC and B&R Wound Care, Inc., and her daughter, Raquel Pasillas, allegedly carried out a scheme to bill Medicare for mobile medical services between April and October 2024.

Prosecutors allege that during that time, Cardenas was incarcerated, serving a federal sentence for an unrelated bulk cash smuggling conviction and was therefore unable to personally provide care or supervise medical services as required under Medicare regulations.

Despite her incarceration, the indictment alleges, the businesses continued submitting claims to Medicare under Cardenas' National Provider Identifier (NPI), falsely representing that she was the rendering provider for the services.

According to prosecutors, Pasillas-who held operational leadership roles at the businesses but had no medical license or certification-personally provided medical services to Medicare beneficiaries, including wound care and the application of costly skin substitute allografts.

Over the six-month period, the defendants allegedly submitted approximately $9.5 million in claims to Medicare and received approximately $5.5 million in reimbursements.

The indictment further alleges the pair diverted fraud proceeds for personal use, including more than $4.7 million in cash withdrawals, deposits into their personal bank accounts, and rent payments for Cardenas' residence while she remained in custody.

"Every dollar stolen through health care fraud is a dollar taken from patient care," said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon.

"Those who commit health care fraud cause real harm because they drain critical resources from programs meant to support some of our most vulnerable community members," said Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily of the FBI's San Diego Field Office. "Schemes like this undermine trust in our health care system and drive up costs for everyone. Working closely with HHS OIG and the Justice Department, the FBI will continue to pursue those who exploit federally funded programs and ensure they face the consequences of their actions."

The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today's takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history.

In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI's Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor's offices to corporate boardrooms.

Today's coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including:

• Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
• 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General ("HHS-OIG") under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
• Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
• 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.

The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit's National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys' Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General's Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virigina participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today.

Descriptions of each case involved in today's enforcement action are available on the Department's website here.

The case in the Southern District of California is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blanca Quintero.

DEFENDANTS Case Number 26cr2236

Blanca Estela Cardenas Age: 55 Chula Vista, CA

Raquel Pasillas Age: 33 Chula Vista, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud - Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1349

Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison, $250,000 fine or twice the pecuniary gain or loss, whichever is greater

Health Care Fraud - Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1347

Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison, $250,000 fine or twice the pecuniary gain or loss, whichever is greater

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

FBI

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General

*Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department's work to combat fraud supports President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.