Pair indicted in alleged Medicaid drug fraud

Two more people were indicted by a Seattle federal grand jury on charges that originated with an investigation of an alleged $1.6 million scheme to defraud Medicaid.

The two men are accused of taking part in a money-laundering scheme involving phony billings at the now-closed Lakeshore Pharmacy in Kirkland, according to the indictment.

In addition, an earlier defendant from Kirkland has pleaded guilty to health-care fraud and money laundering as part of the alleged conspiracy.

The new charges were brought this month against Oleg Ordinartsev, 38, of Bothell, and Vladimir Mitkovetski, 48, of Bellevue.

They were named in charges filed in a new indictment returned Dec. 14 accusing them of conspiracy to commit health-care fraud, various counts of health-care fraud, conspiracy to launder money, money laundering and making false statements related to health-care matters.

The charges evolved from a July indictment returned against Alexander D. Milman, 46, of Kirkland, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle reported.

Milman ran a business called the A-Z Pharmacy, with locations in Bellevue, Kent and Tacoma, and later opened the Lakeshore Pharmacy on Central Way in Kirkland.

Ordinartsev is an attorney who was suspended from practicing law in 2004, according to the charges.

The conspiracy dated to 2002 and involved preparing false records, including physician prescriptions and delivery receipts, so Medicaid could be billed for drugs and medical supplies that were never delivered, with more than $1.1 million being paid out in false claims and $417,000 being paid for never-delivered drugs, the charges add.

Milman's wife, Valentina M. Milman, 39, of Kirkland, pleaded guilty Dec. 7 to conspiracy to commit health-care fraud and conspiracy to launder money.

Valentina Milman acknowledged that she assisted her husband in using some of the fraudulently obtained money to make mortgage payments, for a down payment on a new home and to buy expensive jewelry, such as a Rolex watch, according to her plea.

Valentina Milman also agreed to pay $1.6 million in restitution, and the government is seeking forfeiture of three Eastside properties owned by her and her husband as part of the prosecutions. Her sentencing date has not been set.

Her husband's trial is scheduled to begin in Seattle on Feb. 13 and is expected to last about 10 days. No trial date has been set for Ordinartsev and Mitkovetski.

As part of the money-washing scheme, the Milmans took such steps as transferring tens of thousands of dollars to their daughter's bank account and withdrawing some of the money in cashier's checks, with part of the money used to make payments on various residences, the charges add.

Peyton Whitely: 206-464-2259 or pwhitely@seattletimes.com.