FBI: Armenian 'mob style' crime ring steals millions in Northeast Ohio, 73 indicted nationwide

CLEVELAND - Nationwide, 73 people have been indicted and charged with stealing the identities or doctors and patients to make false Medicare claims worth more than $168 million.

U.S. Attorney Steve Dettelbach said the crimes were linked to an Armenian organized criminal enterprise that goes by "Thieves-in-law."

"The money that this criminal enterprise stole, was sucked right out of the bottom line from the money used to support our health care system in the United States," said Dettelbach.

The indictment filed in filed in Cleveland's downtown Federal Courthouse Wednesday named six people accused of stealing medicare from falsely backed businesses in Canfield, Ohio.

Karen Chilyan, Eduard Oganesyan and Arus Gyulbudakyan have been apprehended. Lilit Galstyan, Julieta Ghazaryan and Marine Movsisyan are still at-large.

The indictment accuses them of billing the state of Ohio $44 million in false Medicare claims. $20 million of that sum remains unaccounted for.

According to Special Agent Figliuzzi with the FBI, "They're ripping off our grandparents, our parents, and ultimately, all of us who will be involved in the Medicare system."