Rep. Calvert Introduces the Zero Tolerance for Fraudsters Act

Today, Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-41) introduced the Zero Tolerance for Fraudsters Act, H.R. 8951, to impose mandatory minimum prison sentences for anyone convicted of large-scale federal fraud.

“Thanks to Democrat-led states like California and Minnesota, fraud is running wild in America,” said Rep. Calvert. "I am introducing the Zero Tolerance for Fraudsters Act to protect American taxpayers who are sick and tired of being taken advantage of. If Gavin Newsom and his liberal allies won’t do anything to help prevent these actions, then Congress needs to step up and ensure our federal prosecutors can lock up these criminals.”

The Zero Tolerance for Fraudsters Act of 2026 would set mandatory minimum prison sentences for individuals convicted of large-scale federal fraud, including mail fraud, wire fraud, healthcare fraud, and making false statements to the government. Anyone convicted of covered fraud offenses involving between $1 million and $5 million must serve at least one year in prison, while anyone convicted of fraud worth $5 million or more must serve at least five years. The maximum sentences are 10 and 20 years, respectively. Judges would be restricted from imposing sentences below these minimums in relevant cases, maintaining nationwide consistency and preventing rogue judges in California or other states from issuing excessively lenient sentences.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimates that between $233 billion and $521 billion in taxpayer dollars are stolen annually due to fraud. According to CalMatters, “California has emerged as the epicenter of a sweeping hospice fraud crisis, one that is costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.” According to expert estimates, in California alone, “Medi-Cal has lost some $146 billion in taxpayer funds to fraud on Gavin Newsom’s watch.”

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