Staff Reporter, Guwahati: Tonmoy Sharma, a US-based pharma entrepreneur originally from Guwahati, has been arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in connection with a staggering $149 million healthcare fraud case. The 61-year-old, a former CEO of Sovereign Health Group and alumnus of Dibrugarh Medical College, faces multiple federal charges in the United States. According to the US Attorney’s Office (Central District of California), Sharma has been indicted on eight counts, including four for wire fraud, one for conspiracy, and three for illegal kickbacks related to patient referrals. His arrest on May 29 followed a years-long federal probe into Sovereign Health Group, a now-defunct addiction treatment network that operated in Southern California. Prosecutors allege Sharma and his associates enrolled patients in insurance plans without consent, submitted false claims, and paid over $21 million in kickbacks to secure patient referrals. The fraud reportedly led to over $149 million in fake insurance claims. Sharma’s co-accused, Paul Jin Sen Khor, has pleaded not guilty. The trial is set for July 29. Sharma, who interned at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital after graduating from Dibrugarh University in 1987, rose to prominence in psychiatric and addiction treatment fields. He is also known for authoring books on mental health and dual-diagnosis programs. The son of late Phani Sharma—renowned sports organiser and former owner of Guwahati’s iconic cinemas Anuradha, Rupayan, and Anupama—Sharma’s arrest has sent shockwaves through both the Assamese diaspora and the global medical community. The FBI had been investigating him since 2017, conducting raids on his offices and home in California. The high-profile case has sparked significant attention amid growing scrutiny of healthcare fraud in the US.
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