PHOENIX, Ariz. – An Arizona Attorney General’s Office health care fraud case was the focus of a July 30 pretrial conference hearing conducted at the Mohave County Law and Justice Center. Prosecution targets Slimming Grace Primary Care, its manager Danni Owens and six employees of the business located just south of the cemetery on Stockton Hill Road.
Assistant Attorney General Robert Tokar and attorneys representing the defendants agreed that the case should be designated as complex, which extends some time frames given all of the people and charges involved. Judge Ryan Esplin also directed Tokar to provide information that will allow defense counsel to secure transcripts of the state’s Grand Jury proceeding.
Several defense lawyers said they need the transcripts to prepare to challenge the indictment and seek remand of the matter back to the Grand Jury.
The business, Owens, Bree Lobley, Ahlia Wong, Heather Smith, Natalie Rebollozo, Tanya Boehm, and Bailee Tusick face a mix of charges including conspiracy to commit fraud, forgery, sale of misbranded drugs, and identity theft. An AG Office news release alleged they placed prescriptions under patients’ names without consent, administered prescription medications without valid consultations and fraudulently portrayed themselves as licensed medical professionals.
Lawyers representing Owens are haggling with Tokar over whether she should be allowed to return to work.
Tokar said the state opposes Owens returning to her work environment because “an ongoing flood of complaints that are coming” in the case. Judge Esplin encouraged attorneys to attempt to resolve the matter so that the court might not have to rule on contested release conditions.
Tokar also said he wants all the cases to track on the same calendar. “Our goal would be to have everyone joined together to keep everyone together to have just one trial,” he said.
Judge Esplin granted one defendant permission to travel to Hawaii to visit family late next month. He set all of the cases for an Oct. 1 status hearing.
