Owner of Los Angeles County Tattoo Removal Business Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud

LOS ANGELES—The owner of a tattoo removal business in South Gate is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 5 for his guilty plea to federal criminal charges for recruiting paraplegics in a health care fraud scheme that netted more than $1.7 million and for cheating on his taxes. Joseph Tusia, 60, of Leominster, Massachusetts, entered his plea in downtown Los Angeles Aug. 5 to health care fraud and tax evasion, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Tusia will face up to 15 years in federal prison at the sentencing hearing conducted by U.S. District Judge George Wu, prosecutors said. Tusia operated the laser tattoo removal business and 10 durable medical equipment supply companies in California, Nevada and Massachusetts, according to prosecutors. He controlled the tattoo removal companies and the medical equipment supply companies (DMEs), but intentionally withheld his name from bank accounts and state registrations to evade tax liability, papers filed in L.A. federal court show....