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“In towns and cities... there is no more important institution than the local paper.”
Warren Buffett
April 3, 2026
By Brian Hews
ARTESIA — A healthcare operator who ran a hospice business out of Artesia is now at the center of a massive federal fraud case that allegedly siphoned millions from Medicare.
Lolita Beronilla Minerd, 65, of Anaheim, was arrested as part of a sweeping federal investigation targeting hospice fraud across Los Angeles County. Authorities allege Minerd used her company, Topanga Hospice Care Inc., which operated in Artesia from 2020 to 2025, to submit roughly $9.2 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, ultimately receiving more than $8.5 million in payments.
According to investigators, the scheme relied on recruiting individuals who were not terminally ill and enrolling them in hospice care under false pretenses. In some cases, individuals were allegedly approached in public places and later offered monthly cash payments, along with medical supplies, in exchange for signing up as hospice patients.
The operation was part of a broader federal crackdown that resulted in multiple arrests involving healthcare professionals across Southern California, including nurses and other licensed providers accused of exploiting the hospice system for financial gain.
Minerd’s Artesia-based operation is one of several businesses identified in the investigation, which authorities say reflects a larger pattern of fraud within California’s hospice industry. Federal officials have indicated the problem is widespread, with hundreds of facilities now under scrutiny.
The case highlights how fraudulent operators allegedly took advantage of Medicare’s hospice program—intended to provide care for terminally ill patients—by turning it into a profit-driven scheme.
Minerd now faces serious federal charges, with potential penalties that could include decades in prison if convicted.
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