Jan. 2, 2025

Virginia Beach doctor agrees to $625,000 False Claims Act settlement

Dr. Scott Saffold, of Virginia Beach, and his practice, Chesapeake Bay, ENT, P.C. (Chesapeake Bay), located in Belle Haven, have agreed to pay $625,000 to settle a civil fraud case that claimed Dr. Saffold and his medical practice engaged in the routine and systematic practice of falsely billing government health care programs.

Dec. 26, 2024

Southern California-Based Clinics, Laboratory and Their Owners to Pay $10M for False Claims Arising from Kickbacks and Self-Referrals

Mohammad Rasekhi M.D., Sheila Busheri, Southern California Medical Center (SCMC) and R & B Medical Group Inc., doing business as Universal Diagnostic Laboratories (UDL) (collectively, the defendants), have agreed to pay $10 million to resolve allegations that they submitted false claims to Medicare and California’s Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal, arising from allegations of paying kickbacks and making self-referrals. The defendants are all based in southern California. Rasekhi is the founder and chief medical officer of SCMC and the co-owner of UDL. Busheri is the chief executive officer of SCMC and the co-owner and chief executive officer of UDL. SCMC is a federally qualified health center that operates six clinics in southern California. UDL is a reference and esoteric laboratory in Southern California.

Dec. 23, 2024

Inform Diagnostics Agrees to Pay $2.9 Million to Resolve Potential False Claims Act Liability for Self-Reported Violations

Inform Diagnostics, Inc. (Inform) has agreed to pay $2.9 million to resolve potential False Claims Act liability arising out of conduct that potentially violated the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS), resulting in the submission of false claims for payment to Medicare and other federal health care programs. Inform voluntarily self-disclosed the conduct to the U.S. Attorney’s Office earlier this year.

Dec. 23, 2024

Sartell Woman Pleads Guilty in Bank Fraud Case

A Sartell woman has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, Adelle Starin, 40, engaged in a fraud scheme through a Minnesota business she founded and operated called Baby’s on Broadway, which sold baby products and toys. As part of the scheme, Starin submitted fraudulent claims for reimbursement to TRICARE, a healthcare program of the U.S. Department of Defense Military Health System. TRICARE paid out many of Starin’s fraudulent claims, but when TRICARE began rejecting those claims, Starin expanded her scheme to bring other sources of revenue into her company.

Dec. 23, 2024

Food City Agrees to Pay over $8M to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Related to Opioid Dispensing

K-VA-T Food Stores Inc. doing business as Food City (Food City), a regional grocery store chain headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, has agreed to settle the government’s allegations under the False Claims Act (FCA) related to its dispensing of opioids and other controlled substances. Under the settlement, Food City will pay the United States $8,488,378. Food City will pay an additional $78,621 to the states of Virginia and Kentucky for claims paid to Food City by state Medicaid programs.

Dec. 20, 2024

Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty To Creating False Military Discharge Form And Using It For Employment Applications And VA Benefits Claim

United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Robert David Gulledge (59, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to a federal agency. Gulledge faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Dec. 20, 2024

Florida Man Sentenced for Health Care Fraud Violations

A Florida man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for a scheme to defraud insurance providers for physical therapy services that were not provided to patients. Jeffrey MacEachron, 60, a retired Air Force Colonel and former Inspector General at Hanscom Air Force Base, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to three months in prison, to be followed by 27 months of supervised release subject to home confinement. MacEachron was also ordered to pay $335,098 in restitution and a $5,500 fine. In July 2024, MacEachron pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with one count of health care fraud; aiding and abetting.

Dec. 19, 2024

Three Plead Guilty in Conspiracy Scheme Involving Bribery of Government Contracting Officer

Three men pleaded guilty today to their respective roles in a conspiracy to bribe a public official announced United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Keith Kelly, Special Agent in Charge for the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Fraud Field Office. Francisco Guerra, 55, of Lexington, Alabama, Coogan Preston, 55, of Columbia, South Carolina, and Jason Ingram, 47, of Rogersville, Alabama, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Liles Burke to conspiracy to bribe a public official. Preston also pleaded guilty to receiving a gratuity as a public official. Sentencing hearings for each of the conspirators have been scheduled for March 18, 2025.

Dec. 18, 2024

Justice Department Files Nationwide Lawsuit Alleging CVS Knowingly Dispensed Controlled Substances in Violation of the Controlled Substances Act and the False Claims Act

In a civil complaint unsealed today in Providence, Rhode Island, the Justice Department alleges that CVS Pharmacy Inc. and various subsidiaries (collectively, CVS) filled unlawful prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and sought reimbursement from federal healthcare programs for unlawful prescriptions in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA). CVS is the country’s largest pharmacy chain, with more than 9,000 pharmacies across the United States.

Dec. 17, 2024

Two Maryland Men Sentenced to Imprisonment for Participating in a Romance Fraud Scheme

United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on December 17, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel M. Traynor sentenced Chinedu Ikenna Nwafor, age 42, from Bowie, Maryland, to serve 25 months in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, and payment of $180,000.00 in restitution after he pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud for participating in a romance fraud scheme that targeted elderly women.