Nov. 21, 2019

Two Charged in Scheme to Impersonate U.S. Officials and Defraud Iraqis

Two U.S. citizens residing in Iraq were charged in two separate indictments yesterday for their alleged participation in schemes to defraud Iraqi companies out of millions of dollars by impersonating U.S. officials.

Nov. 13, 2019

ABS Development Corporation Agrees to Pay $2.8 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations and to Waive Administrative Claims

The Department of Justice has announced that ABS Development Corporation (ABS) has agreed to pay $2.8 million and give up $16 million in potential administrative claims to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by fraudulently obtaining a foreign military sales contract reserved for American companies. ABS, a Delaware corporation based in New York, is a subsidiary of Ashtrom International, Ltd. of Israel.

Nov. 7, 2019

Aventura Technologies, Inc. and its Senior Management Charged with Fraud, Money Laundering and Illegal Importation of Equipment Manufactured in China

A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging surveillance and security equipment company Aventura Technologies, Inc. (Aventura), located in Commack, New York, and seven current and former employees with selling Chinese-made equipment with known cybersecurity vulnerability to government and private customers while falsely representing that the equipment was made in the United States and concealing that the products were manufactured in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Aventura has generated more than $88 million in sales revenue since November 2010, and the charged scheme has been ongoing since 2006.

Nov. 5, 2019

Justice Department Announces Procurement Collusion Strike Force: a Coordinated National Response to Combat Antitrust Crimes and Related Schemes in Government Procurement, Grant and Program Funding

The Justice Department announced today the formation of the new Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) focusing on deterring, detecting, investigating and prosecuting antitrust crimes, such as bid-rigging conspiracies and related fraudulent schemes, which undermine competition in government procurement, grant and program funding.

Oct. 31, 2019

Pharmacy Owner Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Role in Largest Health Care Fraud Case Ever in Mississippi

Thomas Edward Spell, Jr., 51 , a pharmacy owner in Ridgeland, Mississippi, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for his involvement in a $243 million compounding pharmacy fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Mississippi, Thomas J. Holloman Ill, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation's (IRS Cl) Atlanta Field Office, and Cynthia Bruce, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service's (DCIS) Southeast Field Office.

Oct. 30, 2019

Nevada Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Million Dollar Scheme Targeting Thousands of U.S. Servicemembers and Veterans

Fredrick Brown, 38, of Las Vegas, Nevada, a former civilian medical records administrator for the U.S. Army at the 55th Medical Brigade, Yongsan Garrison, South Korea, admitted yesterday to his role in an identity-theft and fraud scheme that victimized thousands of U.S. servicemembers and veterans.

Oct. 30, 2019

Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Sentenced For Defrauding Insurance Companies Out Of Millions Of Dollars

U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Scott Trapp, 50, of Clarence, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, was sentenced to serve 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. The defendant was also ordered to pay approximately $10,000,000 in restitution.

Oct. 29, 2019

Doctor and Nurse Practioner Plead Guilty to Making False Claims to Medicare and Medicaid

Dr. Brij R. Vaid, M.D., 58, of Ladue, MO, and Donna A. Waldo, 59, of Saint Louis, MO, each pleaded guilty to one count of making a false claim to Medicaid or Medicare. Dr. Vaid appeared today before U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig who accepted his plea and set his sentencing date for January 30, 2020. Ms. Waldo pleaded guilty on October 23, 2019, and will be sentenced on January 28, 2020.

Oct. 28, 2019

Indictments Unsealed Alleging Pay-To-Play Bribery Scheme By Manager, Trucking Companies At Utah FedEx Ground Hub

Four indictments unsealed in U.S. District Court Monday afternoon allege several trucking companies in Utah paid more than $1 million in bribes to the Utah FedEx Ground hub manager as a part of a scheme to exploit the employee’s position within FedEx Ground (FXG) to make the trucking businesses as lucrative as possible. Ten individuals are charged in the indictments.

Oct. 18, 2019

Chinese National Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Illegally Export Military- and Space-Grade Technology from the United States to China

On October 16, 2019, United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa sentenced Tao Li, a 39-year-old Chinese national, to 40 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Li had previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to export military- and space-grade technology to the People’s Republic of China without a license in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Notwithstanding the licensing requirement, the Department of Commerce has a policy of denial to export these types of electronic components to the People’s Republic of China.