A Hanford man has been indicted for his alleged involvement in a Medicare fraud scheme totaling $10 million.

A federal grand jury returned a 12-count indictment this week against Travis Gober, 42, charging him with health care fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to acting U.S. Attorney Philip A. Talbert.

Gober owns and controls VIP Sleep Center, a sleep disorder clinic that operated out of Fresno and Visalia, according to court records. Sleep disorder clinics perform diagnostic tests to identify ailments including sleep apnea and narcolepsy.

Between January 2015 and September 2021, Gober is accused of causing VIP Sleep to bill Medicare for diagnostic sleep tests the company did not actually perform. Each of these claims also listed a provider who had purportedly referred the patient to VIP Sleep even though the provider had not done so, according to federal authorities.

In total, Gober allegedly caused VIP Sleep to submit more than $10 million in false and fraudulent Medicare claims.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincente A. Tennerelli and Melanie L. Alsworth are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Gober faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the health care fraud charges and a mandatory two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft charges.