Dec. 20, 2023

United Memorial Medical Center to Pay $2 Million Plus Additional Contingent Payments for Allegedly Causing False Claims Related to Excessive Cost Outlier Payments and Double Billing for Covid-19 Tests

Doctor’s Hospital 1997 L.P., doing business as United Memorial Medical Center LLC (UMMC), an entity that formerly operated hospitals in the Houston, Texas area, has agreed to pay $2 million, and to make additional contingent payments, to resolve alleged False Claims Act violations for claiming excessive cost outlier payments from government health care programs and for double billing the government for COVID-19 tests that were also billed either to the State of Texas or the City of Houston.

Dec. 19, 2023

DOJ Unseals Charges Against Iranian and Chinese Nationals for Procurement Fraud Involving the Acquisition of Components for Drones on Behalf of the Iranian Government

The Department of Justice unsealed an indictment charging two men - Iranian National Hossein Hatefi Ardakani (“Ardakani”) and Chinese National Gary Lam - with crimes related to the procurement of U.S.-manufactured dual-use microelectronics for Iran. Concurrent with this unsealing, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) designated Ardakani and Lam, also identified by OFAC as Lin Jinghe, as well as two other individuals and 10 entities involved in the procurement network used by Ardakani in support of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force Self Sufficiency Jihad Organization’s one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV” or drone) program.

Dec. 19, 2023

Georgia Man Admits Role in $127 Million Health Care Fraud and Kickback Scheme

A Georgia man and operator of a marketing company today admitted his role in conspiracies to commit health care fraud and to pay and receive illegal kickbacks, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced.

Dec. 18, 2023

United States Files Complaint Against St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Steward Medical Group and Steward Health Care System

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act against Steward St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center of Boston, Inc. (SEMC); Steward Medical Group, Inc. (SMG); and Steward Health Care System, LLC (Steward) alleging that they violated the Physician Self-Referral Law (commonly referred to as the “Stark Law”) and submitted and caused the submission of false claims and statements to the Medicare program. Steward – the owner of SMG and SEMC – is an integrated healthcare system and one of the largest, private, for-profit health care networks in the nation.

Dec. 18, 2023

Former Co-Owners of New Jersey Marketing Company Sentenced to Prison in $8.8 Million Compounded Prescription Drug Scheme

The former co-owners of a New Jersey marketing company were each sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison for their roles in a scheme to defraud public and private health benefits programs of at least $8.8 million for the billing of medically unnecessary compounded prescriptions, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Dec. 18, 2023

Biotelemetry and Lifewatch to Pay More Than $14.7 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Remote Cardiac Monitoring Services

BioTelemetry Inc. and its subsidiary, LifeWatch Services Inc., headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and Rosemont, Illinois, respectively (collectively LifeWatch), have agreed to pay more than $14.7 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting claims to federal health care programs for a higher level of remote cardiac monitoring than physicians had intended to order or that was medically necessary, thus inflating the level of reimbursement paid to LifeWatch.

Dec. 15, 2023

Justice Department Files False Claims Act Complaint Against Insect Shield LLC and Its Founder

The Justice Department has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act against Insect Shield LLC for allegedly causing the submission of false claims to the Department of Defense (DoD) under contracts to provide Army Combat Uniforms. The government has also brought claims against the Estate of Richard Lane, who was the founder, majority owner and chief operating officer of Insect Shield until his death in December 2022.

Dec. 15, 2023

Fairfax Doctor Pleads Guilty to Obstructing the IRS, Agrees to Pay $5.3 Million

A Fairfax doctor pleaded guilty today and has agreed to pay $3.1 million in taxes and $2.2 million to insurance companies for corruptly obstructing the IRS by underreporting his income and filing false tax returns in connection with his medical practice. According to court documents, Dr. Jasser Thiara owned and operated an obstetrics medical practice, doing business as Mid-Atlantic Ob-Gyn, and another doctor’s office specializing in pain management called Fairfax Pain Clinic.

Dec. 14, 2023

Florida Man Charged with Health Care Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Kickback Conspiracy

A Florida man was arraigned today on charges relating to his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare by billing for medically unnecessary prescriptions, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced. Eric Van Vleet, 28, of Delray Beach, Florida, is charged in an eight-count indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback statute, and payment of illegal kickbacks.

Dec. 7, 2023

Chief Executive Officer Admits False Statements to Conceal Foreign Origin of Forklifts Provided to U.S. Army

The chief executive officer of a Passaic, New Jersey, company today admitted falsifying data plates on forklifts provided to the U.S. Army to make it appear as if the forklifts, which were purchased in China, had been manufactured in the United States, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.