Federal officials are calling it the largest case of Medicare fraud ever committed by one group. Six of the seventy-three arrested across the U.S. will be tried for crimes in Georgia including fraud and identity theft.

The case involves 163-million dollars in false charges. Those accused also stole patients and doctors identities. Many of those arrested were allegedly part of an Armenian crime syndicate operating in five states.

Officials say they opened phony medical clinics and medical supply companies including five in Savannah and Macon. They had no staff and did not see patients. U.S. Attorney Edward Tarver is in the Southern district.

“This is one of the first indications that we’ve had, clear indications of the extent that international organized crime is trying to attack or take advantage of our health care system.”

Most whose identities were stolen were from New York. The fraud attributed to Georgia is 4-million dollars.

Tags: Medicare fraud, U.s. District Court Southern District of Georgia, Edward Tarver