The Orange County District Attorney's Office has filed criminal charges against eight chiropractors after conducting an undercover sting operation that targeted illegal patient referral and insurance overbilling schemes.

A lawyer and three office administrators were also charged, officials with the District Attorney's Office said Wednesday.

"We obviously can't prosecute every crooked chiropractor who's got their hand in the cookie jar, but we want to send the message that investigators are still out there... and we're looking for you," said Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas.

Investigators with the District Attorney's Office set up a fake law firm and sent letters to medical providers suspected by the National Insurance Crime Bureau of engaging in fraudulent practices or billings.

The letters outlined an opportunity for the medical provider to get patient referrals from the law firm if they would agree to kick back 30 percent of the fees obtained from treating the patients. Such fee-splitting arrangements by medical providers are illegal.

Starting in early 2008, the fake law firm began setting up meetings with chiropractors to discuss the fee-splitting proposal. The chiropractors typically agreed to the arrangement in meetings that lasted less than 30 minutes, prosecutors said.

The District Attorney's Office filed charges against 12 people in nine separate cases.

Among those charged was Mark Allen Tichelaar, 50, of Anaheim, a chiropractor with Advanced Care Sports Rehabilitation in Anaheim. He is accused of meeting with the fake law firm on Feb. 26, 2008.

Between March 18 and June 4, 2008, an undercover D.A.'s investigator went to Tichelaar for 14 treatments under the pretense of having been involved in a car accident. Tichelaar is accused of overbilling an insurance company for 23 treatments, accepting $2,065 from the insurance company and illegally kicking back $1,020 to the D.A.'s undercover investigator.

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