Fresno doctor, Clovis rep sentenced in $3 million fraud case

A Fresno podiatrist and a Clovis pharmaceutical sales representative were each sentenced to 63 months in federal prison after prosecutors said they used Medicare and Medi-Cal to drive $3.2 million in false claims, turning patient care into a profit scheme.

Felipe Ruiz, 52, of Fresno, and Jose Gabriel Aguirre, 53, of Clovis, were sentenced April 13 by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. Along with prison terms, Thurston ordered forfeiture of nine properties and imposed a $2.6 million personal forfeiture money judgment against Aguirre and a $12.1 million judgment against Ruiz.

Federal prosecutors said Ruiz was a podiatrist and the sole owner of West Coast Podiatry Inc., which had locations in Fresno, Madera and Stanislaus counties. Aguirre was identified as a pharmaceutical sales representative who was not a licensed health-care provider. Court documents said the conduct ran from June 2021 through January 2024.

According to prosecutors, Aguirre performed medical procedures, including sharp wound debridement, on Medicare and Medi-Cal beneficiaries. Ruiz then billed the government programs as if he had performed the services himself. The case centered on unlicensed work being passed off as legitimate care, a structure prosecutors said exposed vulnerable patients to serious risk while draining taxpayer-funded health programs.

Ruiz and Aguirre pleaded guilty Sept. 22, 2025, before sentencing. At that stage, each faced up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Eric Grant said the case showed providers would be held accountable when they abused patient trust and billed federal programs for substandard care. FBI Sacramento and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General said the fraud put patients at risk and undermined the integrity of federal health-care programs.

For Fresno County, the case lands close to home: it ties a local doctor, a Clovis sales rep and a multi-county practice to a scheme federal authorities said distorted billing and compromised care. The court’s punishment, including prison time, property seizure and repayment, reflects how seriously investigators viewed the breach of trust.