By Daily Press staff
LOS ANGELES — A Brentwood physician, an Encino attorney and two others were arrested by the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation Tuesday. They and two others were charged with theft, conspiracy and insurance fraud.
The doctor, Parviz Kahn Berjis, 70, the attorney, Fariba Rahimi, 41, and the others were arrested without incident and are being held on bail ranging from $50,000 to $5 million. Their arraignments are expected today in Los Angeles Superior Court.
The arrests of Berjis and five others follows a nearly three-year investigation into allegations of fraudulent medical claim billings on automobile insurance claims.
The case, handled by the District Attorney’s Automobile Insurance Fraud Division, was investigated by the Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the California Highway Patrol, the Department of Insurance and insurance companies themselves. The complaint, in overt acts relating to one count of conspiracy to commit grand theft and insurance fraud, outlined an undercover investigation by District Attorney’s investigators that started in the spring of 2001.
Berjis and the other five defendants all were charged with one count each of grand theft and conspiracy. Berjis, an internist and rheumatologist, additionally was charged with four counts of insurance fraud and two counts of Medi-Cal fraud. His bail was recommended at $5 million.
Rahimi additionally was charged with five counts of insurance fraud. Her bail was recommended at $50,000.
Also arrested today were Katayoun Jahangani, 35, a medical office administrator from Encino, and Fereydoun Mehran Razy, 49, an accountant from Agoura Hills. Two other people named in the complaint have not yet been arrested.
Besides the grand theft and conspiracy counts, Jahangani was charged with three counts of insurance fraud and Razy with one count of insurance fraud. Bail for Jahangani was recommended at $2 million. Razy’s bail was recommended at $50,000.
The complaint alleged the crimes occurred between Jan. 1, 1996, and Dec. 17, 2003. Named victims included several 11 insurance companies, the Automobile Club of California and the State of California.
Deputy District Attorney Michael Grosbard, the assistant head of the Automobile Insurance Fraud Division, said that losses may amount to more than $2 million, but an exact dollar figure was not included in the complaint.
He said that if convicted, Berjis faces a possible maximum sentence of 12 years and eight months in state prison. Jahangani faces a possible term of 10 years and eight months, while the others face possible terms of five years and eight months.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 15, 2004. Read the original PDF.