SoCal couple busted in alleged multimillion-dollar hospice scam plead not guilty

A Southern California psychiatrist and his wife pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal charges accusing them of carrying out a multimillion-dollar hospice fraud scheme.

Gladwin and Amelou Gill were arrested during an FBI raid at their multimillion-dollar home in Covina on April 2 as part of a massive federal effort to address widespread fraud in California. 

The Gills allegedly submitted $5.2 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for hospice services that were not medically necessary or ever provided, receiving more than $4 million from the claims, according to authorities. 

According to court documents, “agents interviewed 22 beneficiaries billed to Medicare for purported hospice services… none of whom were terminally ill during the time they were enrolled.”

Amelou was represented by a public defender, while her 66-year-old husband Gladwin — dressed in a three-piece suit wearing an American flag pin — hired his own attorney. 

When asked for comment outside the courthouse Tuesday, Amelou simply said “no fake news” and continued walking. 

Gladwin, however, seemed to embrace the chance for a photo op — pointing to his cheek and telling The California Post to “get the good side.” 

Prosecutors said the money the couple made appeared to fuel a lavish lifestyle for Gladwin, who loved to flaunt his wealth and status — frequently posting photos alongside celebrities like Mario Lopez, George Clooney, President George W. Bush, and Salt Bae. 

In one online post, the psychiatrist can be seen posing next to sports agent and philanthropist Leigh Steinberg during a Super Bowl party in 2022, grinning ear to ear on the red carpet. 

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That same year federal authorities were supposedly looking into the Gills for alleged health care fraud and even executed a search warrant, according to First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. 

“Nothing happened with these cases,” Essayli told The Post in April. “Nothing’s happened with fraud under the prior administration, and you’ll have to ask them why, but presumably, it just wasn’t a priority.” 

This isn’t the couple’s first run-in with the law.

Amelou pled guilty to a felony in 2020 for failure to file an income tax return. 

Due to prior criminal history, which likely barred the Gills from opening a facility, the couple started a hospice agency under their daughter’s name. 

Judge Sunshine Sykes is presiding over their trial, which is scheduled to begin on June 15 and last roughly three weeks.