Officials arrested nine people Thursday, including two San Gabriel Valley residents, on suspicion of stealing money from both the Medi-Cal system and senior citizens.
The alleged scam involved employees of Montclair-based Community Extended Care Hospital and their associates who are accused of stealing more than $150,000 from patients and defrauding Medi-Cal, California Department of Justice officials said in a written statement.
“This scam ripped off both senior citizens and our desperately needed public health funds,” California Attorney General Jerry Brown. “These thieves callously stole thousands of state dollars meant to be spent on seniors in this skilled nursing facility.”
David Carmona, 74, of LaVerne, and Andy Tricas, 46, of Duarte were among those arrested during the five-month long investigation, authorities said. They and all the other suspects were being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the San Bernardino County Jail.
Carmona was the neighbor of another suspect, who has since died, and Tricas was the boyfriend of the now-deceased suspect.
Seven other suspects from throughout Southern California were also arrested Thursday morning, according to the D.O.J. statement. A tenth person charged in the case, Maribel Velazquez, 36, New Mexico, remained at large.
The alleged scam took place from 2006 to 2009, officials said.
After billing Medi-Cal for 100 percent of some patients bills, hospital employees are accused of soliciting additional money from elderly patients and their families, according to the D.O.J. The suspects allegedly placed the money in a patient trust accounts, then wrote checks on those accounts for their own gain.
“The scam involved hospital employees writing checks, ranging from $250 to $6,900, from the patient accounts to individuals in the gang, including a UPS driver, their own relatives, and a next door neighbor, who would then cash the checks, take a percentage of the stolen funds and return most of the cash to the hospital employees,” the D.O.J. statement said.
The investigation into the hospital, carried out by the Attorney General’s Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse, began in January following a preliminary investigation by the California Department of Health Care Services, officials said.

LA VERNE — A motorcyclist died Saturday after colliding with another vehicle on the 210 Freeway, authorities said.
Lincoln Juarez, 37, of Canyon Country died at the scene of the crash, coroner’s officials said.
The crash was reported just after 9 a.m. on the eastbound 210 Freeway, just west of Fruit Street, California Highway Patrol Sgt. Jesse Holguin said in a written statement.
The rider was thrown from his 2008 Harley Davidson and pronounced dead at the scene after colliding with a 2006 Jeep Cherokee being driven by a 19-year-old Cypress man, Holguin said.
It appeared that either the motorcycle or the Jeep made an unsafe lane change, he said, however officials were continuing to investigate which vehicle caused the crash.
Any witnesses to the crash are asked to call the Baldwin Park office of the CHP at (626) 338-1164.

LA VERNE — An allegedly intoxicated driver crashed his car into a tree while fleeing the scene of another minor crash early Saturday, killing his two passengers, authorities said.
Alan McConnell, 27, of Covina was booked on suspicion of murder, vehicular manslaughter, felony driving under the influence and hit-and-run, La Verne police Lt. Nick Paz said. He was unhurt in the crash.
Renee Hardy, 20, of Alta Loma and Telassie Dague, 22, of Alta Loma died in the crash, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Investigator Jim Blacklock said.
They were passengers in the 2000 Pontiac Grand Am McConnell was driving, officials said.
McConnell was allegedly involved in a minor collision with another car shortly before 12:45 a.m. on Foothill Boulevard at Damien Avenue just prior to the fatal crash less than half a mile to the east at Foothill Boulevard and Wheeler Avenue, police said.
“He hit the curb when he was fleeing eastbound (on Foothill Boulevard), lost control, hit a center divider and a tree on the center divider, and came to rest on the north curb,” Paz said.
The woman in the rear passenger seat died at the scene, Paz said, while the woman in the front passenger seat was rushed to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Initial tests indicated McConnell’s blood-alcohol level appeared to be over the legal limit, and he failed a field sobriety test, officials said. Police were also looking into the possibility he was under the influence of drugs.
Official records indicate McConnell has had numerous run-ins with the law prior to Saturday’s crash.
McConnell was charged with drunken driving and driving with a suspended license in December of last year in Pomona Superior Court, court records show. Information on the status of that case was not available Saturday.
He was also arrested on Tuesday and before that on Jan. 12 by deputies from the sheriff’s San Dimas station, according to sheriff’s booking records.
He was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of driving with a suspended license, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Alex Vargas said. It was not clear Saturday what the Jan. 12 arrest was for.
In September of 2008, he was convicted of driving with a suspended license in Pomona Superior Court, records show, and he was convicted of marijuana possession in December of 2001.
According to sheriff’s booking records, McConnell was being held in lieu of more than $2.1 million. Information on his initial court appearance was not available.