Results:
Tag: DCIS

Oct. 27, 2023

Tampa Pain Management Physician Edward Lubin Agrees To Pay $1.5 Million To Settle False Claims Act Liability For Receiving Bribes And Writing Unnecessary Fentanyl Prescriptions

United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that pain management physician Edward Lubin has agreed to pay the United States $1.5 million to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by causing the submission of claims for fentanyl prescriptions that were written in exchange for kickback payments and that were medically unnecessary. The agreement resolves the United States' claims against Dr. Lubin under the FCA. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no admission or determination of liability.

Oct. 26, 2023

Man Convicted of $55M Fraud Scheme

A federal jury in the Northern District of Texas convicted a medical marketer today for his role in a $55 million fraud conspiracy involving TRICARE, a federal program that provides health insurance benefits to active duty and retired service members and their families, and several other federal health care programs. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Quintan Cockerell, 42, of Palos Verdes Estates, California, worked with others to create and market expensive compounded medications, which are medications intended to be custom-tailored to individual patient needs. However, instead of custom-tailoring these medications, a local pharmacy designed formulations to maximize TRICARE and other federal health care program reimbursements regardless of patient need or medical efficacy. Pharmacy owners and others paid illegal kickbacks to individuals like Cockerell, who recruited area doctors to write prescriptions for these expensive compounded medications, including by creating so-called investment opportunities so that doctors who wrote prescriptions to the pharmacy could profit from the pharmacy operations. Cockerell then spent the proceeds of the scheme on expensive vacations, trips on private jets, and a yacht charter.

Oct. 26, 2023

Former Navy Civilian Employee Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bribery

Dawnell Parker of Athens, Alabama, pleaded guilty in federal court today to bribery charges, admitting that while she was a public official at Naval Information Warfare Center in San Diego, she accepted thousands of dollars in free meals from defense contractors in exchange for helping them win and maintain millions of dollars in government contracts. As part of the conspiracy, Parker received the free dinners at various restaurants, including Ruth’s Chris, De Medici Cucina and the University Club. In return, she took official action to aid her benefactors, like allowing defense contractors to draft government documents and submitting those documents as part of the procurement process and advocating for their selection as defense contractors.

Oct. 26, 2023

Putnam Community Medical Center Of North Florida Agrees To Pay One Million Dollars To Settle False Claims Liability Related To Its Former Sleep Center

United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces today that Putnam Community Medical Center of North Florida, who owns and operated Putnam Community Medical Center, LLC, a 99-bed hospital located in Palatka, Florida, has agreed to pay the United States $1million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims to Medicare and TRICARE in connection with a now-closed sleep center that were alleged to have operated with inadequate physician supervision. According to the settlement agreement, Putnam Community Medical Center provided diagnostic sleep testing services at its nowclosed sleep center, which the United States and the State of Florida allege were not provided with adequate physician supervision as required under certain Medicare coverage determinations and regulations during the period from December 2013 through February 2019.

Oct. 26, 2023

Sex Offender Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Hundreds of Thousands of Child Sex Abuse Images and Stealing Thousands of Rounds of Ammunition from U.S. Military

Timothy Guy, 76, of Martin County, Indiana, has been sentenced to 5 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, receiving stolen U.S. government property, and possession of child sexual abuse material. According to court documents, from 1966 through 2004, Timothy Guy was employed as an explosive's handler at the Crane Army Ammunition Activity. While working at Crane, he falsified documents to make it appear that ammunition had been destroyed, when in reality, he stole the ammunition and smuggled it out of the facility. In 2018, Guy was found guilty of possessing child sexual abuse material after he was caught viewing the material at a Wendy's restaurant-where he went to utilize the free Wi-Fi.

Oct. 19, 2023

Preliminary Injunction Entered in Justice Department Suit to Stop Fraudulent Debt Collection Scheme that Harmed Veterans

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma has issued a preliminary injunction enjoining three individuals and two companies from continuing their fraudulent debt collection scheme. The order was issued after the department fi led a civil complaint against Assured Collections LLC, Assured Financial LLC, Christopher Parks, Christopher Noah Parks and Stephen Miller. According to the complaint, Christopher Parks, 62, who is currently incarcerated in Cushing, Oklahoma, his son, Christopher Noah Parks, 29, of Bro ken Arrow, Oklahoma, and Stephen Miller, 39, also of Broken Arrow, operate Assured Collections LLC and Assured Financial LLC. The defendants, according to the complaint, used those companies to distribute thousands of fraudulent debt collection notices to consumers across the country. These notices falsely stated that consumers owed money, often thousands of dollars, for durable medical equipment. In fact, defendants had no authority to contact consumers to attempt to collect any debt. Many of the notices were sent to older adults and veterans.

Oct. 18, 2023

Jena Medical Group, LLC, Its Principals And Physician Agree To Pay Over $1.7 Million To Settle False Claims Act Liability For Improperly Performed Procedures

United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces today that Jena Medical Group, LLC, Benjamin Weiss, Moishe Hoffman, and Jason Schultz have agreed to pay the United States $1,724,986.08 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims to Medicare and TRICARE for radiofrequency ablations that were performed by an unqualified technician. According to the settlement agreement, Jena Medical, through its principals, Benjamin Weiss, Moishe Hoffman, and through Dr. Jason Schutlz, billed Medicare and TRICARE for radiofrequency ablations that were not medically necessary, not provided by a qualified provider, or both, during the period from January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2020. According to the allegations, patients referred to the unqualified technician as “doctor” and were led to believe he was qualified to perform their procedures. Jena Medical also permitted the washing and re-use of catheters that were designed for a single use.

Oct. 18, 2023

Silicon Valley Executive Sentenced for Defrauding Investors and Participating in COVID-19 and Allergy Testing Scheme

The president of a Silicon Valley-based medical technology company was sentenced today to eight years in prison and ordered to pay $24 million in restitution for participating in a scheme to defraud investors and a scheme to commit health care fraud and pay illegal kickbacks in connection with the submission of over $77 million in claims for COVID-19 and allergy testing. “A Silicon Valley executive exploited the pandemic for profit, ultimately endangering patients with unproven COVID-19 tests,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the people of this nation by investigating and prosecuting those who put public health at risk and use global mergencies to line their own pockets.”

Oct. 11, 2023

Compounding pharmacy owner sentenced to 18 months and over $6 million in restitution

A former Jenks resident has been sentenced to 18 months for conspiracy to offer and pay health care kickbacks, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge George K. Frizzell sentenced Christopher Parks, 62, to 18 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. Judge Frizzell further ordered Parks to pay $6,400,651.57 in restitution. "Christopher Parks violated the trust of patients and abused Federal Health Care programs and private insurance companies to cheat taxpayers and pad his pockets," said U.S Attorney Clint Johnson. "This office, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to prosecute insurance and medical fraud."

Oct. 10, 2023

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

A New York man and owner 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. Eric Karlewicz, aka "Anthony Mazza," 44, of Chestnut Ridge, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback statute and conspiracy to commit health care fraud.