Paul Richard Randall, 67, was sentenced to 30 years after pleading guilty to wire fraud for orchestrating nearly $270 million in fraudulent Medi‑Cal claims between May 2022 and April 2023. He was ordered to pay $178,746,556.22 in restitution. Authorities say Medi‑Cal paid about $178.7 million on the false claims and have seized roughly $126.5 million in assets tied to Randall and co‑conspirators. DOJ officials said the scheme exploited a temporary change in Medi‑Cal's prescription drug reimbursement system and highlighted enforcement against fraud targeting public health programs.
California Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Nearly $270M Medi‑Cal Fraud, Ordered to Pay $178.7M
A federal judge in California has sentenced Paul Richard Randall, 67, to 30 years in prison after finding he orchestrated nearly $270 million in fraudulent claims submitted to Medi‑Cal, California's Medicaid program. Randall pleaded guilty in April to one count of wire fraud and was ordered to pay $178,746,556.22 in restitution.
Scheme and Timeline
According to the Department of Justice, over an 11‑month period from May 2022 through April 2023 Randall caused at least $269,120,829 in fraudulent and false claims to be filed with Medi‑Cal. The program paid out approximately $178,746,556 as a result of those claims.
Assets Seized
Federal authorities have seized roughly $126.5 million in assets tied to Randall and his co‑conspirators, including:
- About $111 million in bank accounts and securities
- Nine luxury real estate properties valued at approximately $13.5 million total
- Nine high‑end vehicles worth roughly $1 million
- More than $1 million in sports memorabilia
Paul Randall exploited a temporary change in Medi‑Cal's prescription drug reimbursement system to steal millions of hard‑earned taxpayer dollars meant to help California's most vulnerable residents.
— Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald, National Fraud Enforcement Division
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California emphasized that the case exposed weaknesses in state systems. "This defendant took advantage of California's weak systems, allowing him to submit $270 million in fraudulent claims to Medi‑Cal in less than a year," Essayli said. "Today's prison sentence underscores our department's determination to aggressively punish criminals who steal from public health programs."
The sentence and restitution order follow Randall's guilty plea and a federal investigation that identified the fraudulent billing activity and the financial trail leading to the seized assets.
Reporting based on Department of Justice statements and court records.
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