A medical supply office was searched this week and an attorney representing a doctor whose office and home were also searched, says the supply office is the focus of the FBI investigation.
17 News confirmed Ashli Healthcare was searched Tuesday. Although no one would speak on camera, they told 17 News they do business with Dr. Carlos Alvarez, whose home and office were searched two days ago.
Valley Medical Group and Dr. Hemmel Kothary's office in High Grove Medical Center were open Thursday serving clients as usual.
David Torres, an attorney representing Dr. Alvarez, believes the focus of the investigation is medical supply distributor, Ashli Healthcare, which does business with all of the doctors investigated.
"What they are trying to do is there was a relationship between Ashli Medical Group as well as other medical groups, and what they are doing is casting a wide net," said Torres. "This is not to say Ashli did anything wrong at all."
Ashli released a statement saying: "We are fully cooperating with federal investigators and we are confident this will reaffirm our ongoing ethical business practices."
Wednesday night, Dr. Carlos Alvarez appeared on our sister station Telemundo. He had this to say. "Yesterday they showed up to investigate. They didn't give us any details. They just said they came to get documents and registration and they took pictures and info about the office."
Alvarez said his employees were questioned, but agents didn't give a reason for the search.
"I'm a bit angry," said Alvarez continued in Spanish. "It's one of the things I feel, but like I told my daughter and wife and employees, there is no reason to hide, just working on what we do daily."
The FBI will do what they do which, Alvarez suspects, will be more searches in Bakersfield.
"This probably is going to be one of the many investigations they will conduct for many medical organizations, I imagine," said Alvarez.
The FBI would not say when or if more searches would be conducted.
