(Fraud scheme that targeted pregnant women)....The investigation began in 2018 in Imperial County.

This week The Chula Vista residents, 33 year old Melissa Alvarez Torres and 36 year old Jose Luis Olmos Hernandez entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. The scheme targeted pregnant women in Mexico and led to more than $1 million in losses to California's Medi-Cal system. The two face up to 20 years in prison, each. They will be sentenced in October. The couple agreed to pay $1.5 million restitution to the state and the victims. The women were solicited on Social Media. The women had to have a legal crossing card into the United States. For a fee, they were promised private medical insurance to cover the cost of having their babies in the U.S. Instead of private insurance, the Chula Vista couple applied for Medi-Cal, using fake information. The women were also charged a fake insurance premium of between $1,200 and $3,000. Over 250 applications were submitted, and most were approved