July 13, 2023

Dermatologist Agrees To Pay $6.6 Million To Settle Allegations Of Fraudulent Billing Practices

Dermatologist, John Y. Chung, M.D., and his practice Skin Cancer & Cosmetic Dermatology Center, P.C. (“SCCDC”), which operates 13 dermatology clinics in southeast Tennessee and north Georgia, have agreed to pay $6.6 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting false claims to federal healthcare programs for Mohs Micrographic Surgeries and other dermatological procedures.

July 11, 2023

California Doctor and Medical Practice Agree to Pay $11.4 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Skin Biopsies, Spine Surgeries, and Urine Drug Testing

Lags Spine & Sports care Medical Centers Inc. (Lags Medical) and Francis P. Lagattuta M.D., the owner and medical director of Lags Medical, have agreed to pay $11,388,887 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting millions of dollars of false claims to Medicare, Medi-Cal, and the Oregon Medicaid program for medically unnecessary skin biopsies, spinal cord stimulation surgeries, and urine drug testing, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced today.

July 7, 2023

U.S. Army Financial Counselor Charged With Defrauding Gold Star Families

A Monmouth County, New Jersey, financial counselor with the United States Army and major in the U.S. Army Reserves who allegedly defrauded two dozen Gold Star families has been indicted, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Caz Cratty, a/k/a "Carz Craffey," 41, of Colts Neck, New Jersey, is charged by indictment with six counts of wire fraud and one count each of securities fraud, making false statements in a loan application, committing acts furthering a personal financial interest, and making false statements to a federal agency.

July 6, 2023

United States Files Forfeiture Action Against Over Nine Thousand Rifles and Over 700,000 Rounds of Ammunition Enroute from Iran to Yemen

The Justice Department today announced the filing of a forfeiture complaint against over 9,000 rifles, 284 machine guns, approximately 194 rocket launchers, over 70 anti-tank guided missiles and over 700,000 rounds of ammunition that the U.S. Navy seized in transit from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to militant groups in Yemen.

June 27, 2023

Poway Man Hid Mother's Death for 30 Years, Stole More than $800,000 in Government Benefits Intended for Her

Donald Felix Zampach of Poway pleaded guilty in federal court today to money laundering and social security fraud, admitting that he fraudulently concealed his mother's death for decades and that he received and then laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in government benefits intended for her, that should have ceased upon her death.

June 27, 2023

Moriarty Man Sentenced for Scheme to Defraud the United States

Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Milton Boutte was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay $1,210,000 in restitution. A federal jury convicted Boutte, 77, of Moriarty, New Mexico, of conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit wire fraud on June 27, 2022.

June 26, 2023

Former Department of Energy Employee Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes from Long Island Businessman in Exchange for Nearly $1 Million in Federal Contracts

Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Jami Anthony, the former Small Business Program Liaison and Procurement Officer for a Department of Energy (DOE) laboratory based in Virginia, pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging her with receiving bribes as a federal official in connection with a scheme to pay her more than $18,000 in exchange for more than $900,000 in DOE contracts. The proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Anne Y. Shields. When sentenced, Anthony faces up to 15 years in prison. As part of her guilty plea, Anthony agreed to forfeit approximately $18,800.

June 16, 2023

Raleigh ENT Doctor Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Adulterating Surgical Devices, for Defrauding Medicare, and for Stealing Patient Identities

Anita Louise Jackson, 62, was sentenced to 300 months in prison for adulterating surgical devices used in more than 1400 nasal surgeries performed on Medicare patients between 2011 and 2018. Jackson was also ordered to serve 3 years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit 4.7 million dollars. In January of this year, Jackson was found guilty. by a federal jury on 20 criminal counts, including device adulteration, fraud, conspiracy and identity theft.

June 16, 2023

Man Convicted of $54M Bribery and Kickback Scheme Involving Fraudulent Prescriptions

A federal jury convicted a Florida man for his role in a $54 million bribery and kickback scheme involving TRICARE, a federal program that provides health insurance benefits to active duty and retired service members and their families. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, David Byron Copeland, 55, of Tallahassee, was a part-owner and senior sales manager at Florida Pharmacy Solutions (FPS), a Florida-based pharmacy that specialized in compounded prescription drugs. Copeland, along with his accomplices, engaged in a practice known as "test billing" to develop the most expensive combination of compounded drugs to maximize reimbursement from TRI CARE.

June 15, 2023

Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 18 Months Imprisonment for Health Care Fraud Scheme

CHRISTOPHER BLACKSTONE has been sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment to be followed by a 2-year term of supervised release after pleading guilty in federal court relating to his role in a health care fraud conspiracy. BLACKSTONE, age 46, a resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty on February 24, 2021 before U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to Count One of a bill of information charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1347 and 1349.