2 From Sherborn Charged In Self-Referral, Medicaid Fraud Scheme

SHERBORN, MA — Two people from Sherborn are part of a group of four that were charged indicted and arraigned on a range of criminal charges in connection with an illegal self-referral and Medicaid fraud scheme. Attorney General Maura Healy announced the charges on Wednesday and said that a former independent clinical laboratory in Marlborough was also involved.

The AG’s Office alleges that the laboratory submitted millions of dollars in false claims to the state’s Medicaid program, known as MassHealth, for urine drug tests it performed, which violated state self-referral laws because they were sent from two substance abuse treatment clinics controlled by a beneficial owner of the laboratory.

The lab, Discovery Diagnostic Laboratory, was indicted in September. Also indicted were the former manager, Diana Martirosyan, Arnak Khachatryan, an operator of two substance abuse treatment clinics and Suren Manukyan and Hyak Kirakosyan, the half-brother and a business associate, respectively, of Khachatryan. Kirakosyan was also a former minority owner of DDL, which was previously located in Brockton and then moved to Marlborough.

All four pleaded not guilty and are due back in Middlesex Superior Court on Dec. 3.

The pair from Sherborn are listed below as well as the charges they are facing:

Diana Martirosyan, age 41, of Sherborn

• Violations of Laboratory Self-Referral Statute
• Medicaid False Claims
• Medicaid Reverse False Claims
• Larceny Over $1,200
• Obstruction
• Conspiracy (2 counts)

Hyak Kirakosyan, age 44, of Sherborn

• Assault & Battery
• Witness Intimidation
• Conspiracy (2 counts)

Related indictments against Khachatryan, Manukyan and Kirakosyan pertain to allegations that they assaulted, battered, and intimidated a former associate and business partner after they found out he was trying to cooperate with the AG’s investigation. Khachatryan, Manukyan and Kirakosyan are accused of luring the victim to a cemetery where they assaulted him, making clear during the attack that the assault was to deter him from cooperating with investigating authorities.