Arizona prosecutors have charged 42 defendants across 10 health care cases in a statewide fraud takedown that goes beyond billing paperwork.
Attorney General Kris Mayes announced the charges Wednesday as part of the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The Arizona Attorney General’s Office said the cases were filed in five counties and involve alleged Medicaid fraud, unlicensed medical practice, drug diversion, exploitation of vulnerable adults, manslaughter, and negligent homicide.
The announcement comes as Arizona continues to pursue fraud tied to AHCCCS, the state’s Medicaid program. Some of the new cases involve alleged financial schemes.
Others involve accusations that people were treated, injected, prescribed medication, housed, or cared for by people who prosecutors say had no authority to do so.
A Care Home Case Includes A Manslaughter Charge
Attorney General Kris Mayes announced charges against 42 people in 10 cases in a huge health care billing scam. https://t.co/xdZTHbiJjO
— azcentral (@azcentral) June 25, 2026
One of the most serious cases centers on Meadows Catalina, a care home in Pima County.
The Attorney General’s Office said employees at the home are accused of failing to provide a vulnerable adult with necessary care. The indictment alleges that repeated falls and lack of care resulted in the patient’s death.
Seven defendants were charged in that case. One person faces a manslaughter charge, while the others face vulnerable adult abuse charges, according to prosecutors.
Arizona is not only accusing defendants of taking public money improperly. In some cases, prosecutors allege vulnerable people were directly harmed while relying on care facilities or medical providers.
Prosecutors Say AHCCCS Was Targeted Through Clinics And Referrals
The largest billing-focused state case named in the announcement involves Newstart Integrated Clinic and 18 individuals.
Prosecutors say the defendants paid people to refer AHCCCS beneficiaries to Newstart, then defrauded the program of more than $1 million between January and October 2023.
Another case names Irfan Fazil, 54, of Yuma, and Bio Family Clinic. The Attorney General’s Office said Fazil and the clinic were charged with fraudulent schemes and artifices, illegal control of an enterprise, theft, conspiracy, and drug-related felonies.
Prosecutors allege Fazil operated a racketeering enterprise that defrauded AHCCCS out of millions of dollars between July 2025 and May 2026. The state also alleges the case involved money laundering, theft, and the unlawful possession and administration of dangerous drugs.
Unlicensed Medical Work Runs Through Several Cases
Several cases focus on people prosecutors say performed medical, cosmetic, or birth-related work without the required authority.
Brandi Lee Dees, 30, of Phoenix, was charged with fraudulent schemes and artifices, medical practice without a license, and possession of prescription-only drugs. Prosecutors say Dees allegedly performed lip filler, Botox, and other dermal injectable procedures at her business without a medical license, using fillers that may not have been FDA-approved.
In Kingman, Michelle Renee Alderman, 48, was charged with three counts of unauthorized practice of a health profession. Prosecutors say Alderman owned The Pout Company and allegedly provided lip filler services that required medical licensure and professional oversight.
Another Kingman case involves Slimming Grace LLC and seven individuals. Prosecutors say a nurse practitioner and co-defendants allegedly placed prescriptions under patients’ names without consent, administered prescription medications without valid consultations, distributed syringes filled with unlabeled prescription medications, and falsely held themselves out as licensed medical professionals.
The announcement also names Lorraine P. Ferrante, 73, of Snowflake, and Conscious Choices Birth Center. Ferrante and the business were charged with fraudulent schemes and artifices, identity theft, negligent homicide, and three counts of performing midwifery without a license. Prosecutors allege Ferrante practiced as an unlicensed midwife from 2020 through 2025 and that an unborn child died in utero on Feb. 5, 2025, allegedly as a result of her negligence.
A Pharmacist Is Accused Of Diverting Oxycodone
Another case involves Michael Maurice Jadda, 34, of Peoria, a licensed pharmacist.
Jadda was charged with fraud, aggravated identity theft, forgery, and four counts of sale or transportation of narcotic drugs. Prosecutors say he allegedly used his position to generate fraudulent prescriptions for Oxycodone and diverted the controlled substances for personal use and sale.
Edgar Z. Torres, 38, of Nogales, was also charged in a separate case with endangerment, criminal impersonation, possession of prescription drugs for sale, and unauthorized practice of a health profession. Prosecutors say Torres performed medical procedures without a license, assumed another person’s identity, and unlawfully possessed prescription medications for sale.
The Arizona Cases Are Part Of A National Takedown
The Arizona charges were announced during a national health care fraud enforcement action.
The Justice Department said the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, in cases involving more than $6.5 billion in alleged false claims.
The DOJ said the national cases spanned 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating.
For patients and families, the Arizona cases point to a basic check before paying for or accepting health care services outside a familiar doctor’s office, clinic, or pharmacy: verify that the provider is licensed, the business is legitimate, and any Medicaid or insurance paperwork reflects care that was actually provided.