The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California has issued an indictment and arrest warrant against Sam Solakyan, who headed numerous imaging centers in the state tied to fraud allegations. According to the indictment, Solakyan allegedly paid $8.8 million in kickbacks for referrals, which were used to bill workers’ compensation payers for $284 million.
All liens associated with Solakyan’s companies, which included Vital Imaging and the San Diego MRI Institute among others, will be stayed until his criminal charges are resolved. Solakyan supposedly conspired with San Diego chiropractor Dr. Steven Rigler, Rigler’s office manager Alexander Martinez, and Fermin Igleasias and Carlos Arguello, who owned several firms which were allegedly used in patent recruitment.
Solakyan, Ligler, Martinez, Igleasias, and Arguello allegedly began the scheme in 2011/2012. Solakyan has been released on $1.5 million bond with a GPS tracker, while the others have all been previously charged.