Arizona prosecutors allege that $12.89 million in state Medicaid payments meant for Phoenix Children's Hospital was diverted to a bank account controlled by a 56-year-old man, according to a direct complaint filed in Maricopa County Superior Court and reported by The Phoenix Focal, with the alleged scheme also reported by ABC15 Arizona. The charges are allegations; the accused is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

The complaint accuses Juan Carlos da Cunha Tcachman of fraudulent schemes and artifices and theft of control of property, both Class 2 felonies. He had not been arrested as of October 20, according to the Arizona Attorney General's Office, which said it could not comment further because the case and investigation are ongoing.

Prosecutors allege the scheme began in July 2026, when AHCCCS — Arizona's Medicaid program — received a fax with a letter purporting to be from Wells Fargo claiming Phoenix Children's Hospital had changed its bank account effective July 1. After a staff member spoke by phone with someone identified as 'Michelle,' AHCCCS allegedly approved a change to the electronic transfer information. Three payments of about $4.29 million each were then sent to the new account, totalling $12,891,725.10 (yaani roughly $12.9 million). The complaint says some of the money has been recovered.

Investigators allege the account's holder and signer was Tcachman, who opened it using a District of Columbia passport, and court records describe multiple large withdrawals from the account in August and September. No court date or defence response was reported in the coverage reviewed. Sources: The Phoenix Focal (court complaint and Arizona Attorney General's Office), ABC15 Arizona.