Telepeer

Former rehab mogul’s friends post his bond

August 23, 2025

Tonmoy Sharma, founder and CEO of Sovereign Health, talks about his company's growth and the FBI raid in 2017. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG) — Tonmoy Sharma, founder and CEO of Sovereign Health, talks about his company’s growth and the FBI raid in 2017. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

It’s mighty good to have friends, Tonmoy Sharma must be thinking.

We told you that the erstwhile king of a multi-state addiction treatment empire was charged with massive health care fraud and branded a flight risk, with bail set at a half-million dollars.

He pleaded not guilty and put up his $3 million San Juan Capistrano house to guarantee the bond. But months later, he seemed surprised to discover that his property “will not provide sufficient equity for the bond.” (Myriad claims from folks who say Sharma owes them money leave him encumbered.)

Whoops. So he asked the federal court to reduce his bail to $120,000. The U.S. Department of Justice balked. He was given until Aug. 21 to pony up “real property” to secure his freedom.

And… newly filed documents show that friends Jason Taylor of Point Vedra, Florida has pledged $200,000, and Dr. Blanca Cervantes of Irvine has pledged $300,000 to secure Sharma’s bail.

The prosecutor signed off on the friends’ “affidavits of surety,” as they’re called, and the DOJ declined further comment. Sharma and his attorney didn’t return calls and emails. Sharma’s pals didn’t return texts.

Sharma will apparently remain free — and seriously indebted to his friends! — as attorneys prepare for his trial. That’s slated to begin in March and last a couple of weeks.

As head of Sovereign Health and related companies, Sharma is accused of billing nearly $150 million in fraudulent insurance claims and $29 million for unnecessary urine tests at company-owned labs. He’s also accused of paying more than $21 million in illegal kickbacks to “body brokers,” people who steered addicted clients Sovereign’s way in exchange for thousands of dollars per patient.

It’s a scenario that repeats with alarming regularity in California’s poorly regulated addiction treatment system, which the feds have called the nation’s center for addiction treatment fraud.

Former rehab mogul’s friends post his bond Orange County Register

News Details

Former rehab mogul’s friends post his bond

News

CONTACT INFO

QUICK LINKS

SERVICES

CURRENT NEWS