Irvine couple accused of stealing patient identities in alleged insurance fraud scheme

When patients across Orange County began noticing mysterious charges for medical tests they had never received, the trail of unexplained bills led investigators to an unlikely source: a Mission Viejo medical office and a quiet neighborhood in Irvine.

Authorities say the discovery unraveled an insurance fraud scheme in which an Irvine couple, Rebecca Juarez, 39, and Juan Pablo Rodriguez, 31, allegedly stole the identities of more than 21 patients and used the information to submit fake insurance claims worth more than $10,000.

The case began after several residents filed complaints with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, reporting that their health insurers had billed them for tests and treatments that never took place. Investigators with the California Department of Insurance soon joined the inquiry, tracing the phantom charges back to patient records at a Mission Viejo medical practice where Juarez worked.

According to investigators, Juarez secretly accessed the office’s computerized medical records system and copied patients’ personal information. She is accused of passing those details to Rodriguez, who allegedly used his access to the billing system of a medical practice in San Jose to create fictitious medical records. 

The records included claims for COVID-19 testing and other procedures that were never performed, authorities said, and were submitted to various insurers between August and November 2023.

On Sept. 16, Juarez and Rodriguez were arraigned in Orange County Superior Court on a criminal complaint that charges each of them with two counts of conspiracy, 21 counts of medical insurance fraud, and 21 counts of identity theft. 

Both were granted conditional release while awaiting their next court appearance, scheduled for Dec. 3, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, which is prosecuting the case.

State investigators said the alleged scheme underscores how easily personal medical data can be exploited when insiders gain access to patient records.