Dr julian omidi biography of william

LOS ANGELES — The former operator of the now-defunct 1-800-GET-THIN ad campaign was sentenced Monday to seven years behind bars for using fabricated sleep studies to persuade insurance companies to pay out tens of millions of dollars for Lap-Band surgery.

Julian Omidi, 54, of West Hollywood, and one of his companies, Beverly Hills-based Surgery Center Management, were found guilty in December 2021 of multiple wire and mail fraud counts. Co-defendant Dr. Mirali Zarrabi, of Beverly Hills, was acquitted of all charges.

Omidi, a former doctor, also was found guilty of two counts of making false statements relating to health care matters and one count each of aggravated identity theft and money laundering. Additionally, Omidi and SCM were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

SCM was sentenced to five years probation. Fines and restitution are to be determined at a hearing in June.

The Lap-Band is a silicone ring that is surgically implanted around the stomach to discourage overeating. The weight-loss-surgery business was widely advertised on Southern California freeway billboards, radio and television, attracting people desperate to shed excess pounds.

However, before insurance companies would

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Former 1-800 GET-THIN doctor gets 7-year sentence for multimillion-dollar fraud scheme

A former doctor convicted of fraudulently submitting nearly $120 million in claims related to the 1-800-GET-THIN Lap-Band surgery business has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison.

Julian Omidi, 58, of West Hollywood was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Court Judge Dolly M. Gee. The judge also imposed a five-year probation period on Surgery Center Management LLC, an Omidi-controlled Beverly Hills-based company.

In the coming weeks, Gee is expected to hold a separate hearing to decide on restitution and forfeiture in the case, along with setting a fine for the Beverly Hills company.

The 1-800-GET-THIN billboards once dominated the Los Angeles landscape with claims of a one-hour procedure and an easy insurance verification process. But a federal jury in December 2021 found that the business was a criminal scheme that bilked millions from several insurance providers, including the Tricare healthcare program for military service members.

“Mr. Omidi made millions at the expense of the multiple victim companies he defrauded, and he violated his oath to ‘do no harm’ by callously misleading patients about the need for a sleep study and subsequent weight loss surgery,” said Donal

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Former doctor, spectator behind 1-800-GET-THIN found guiltless of fraud

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