Jan. 17, 2025

Pharmacist guilty in $110 million dollar kickback conspiracy

A 55-year-old McAllen man has pleaded guilty to conspiring to pay kickbacks in exchange for prescription referrals, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. John Ageudo Rodriguez, a licensed pharmacist, owned and operated a pharmacy in Pharr called Pharr Family Pharmacy. Rodriguez admitted he paid kickbacks in excess of $24 million to various marketers. The marketers had relationships with physicians and clinics and could cause prescriptions for expensive compound drugs to be referred to Rodriguez’s pharmacy.

Jan. 17, 2025

Justice Department Files Nationwide Lawsuit Alleging Walgreens Knowingly Filled Millions of Prescriptions that Lacked a Legitimate Medical Purpose

In a civil complaint filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the Justice Department alleges that Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co. and various subsidiaries (collectively, Walgreens) dispensed millions of unlawful prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and then sought reimbursement for many of these prescriptions from various federal health care programs in violation the False Claims Act (FCA). Walgreens is one of the country’s largest pharmacy chains, with over 8,000 pharmacies across the United States.

Jan. 15, 2025

Texas hospital CEO sentenced to federal prison for role in health care kickback conspiracy

A former Texas hospital chief executive officer has been sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for conspiring to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.

Jan. 14, 2025

Four Defendants Plead Guilty in Ongoing Bid-Rigging, Fraud and Bribery Investigation Related to U.S. Government IT Purchases

Four defendants pleaded guilty in the District of Maryland for their roles in schemes to rig bids, defraud the government and pay and receive bribes in connection with the sale of IT products and services to federal government purchasers, including the Department of Defense (DoD). The charges were previously announced on Oct. 29, 2024.

Jan. 13, 2025

Edinburg doctor and son guilty in kickback conspiracy

A 75-year-old Edinburg physician and his 43-year-old son both pleaded guilty to conspiring to receive kickbacks in exchange for referring prescriptions to local pharmacies, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Jan. 8, 2025

Chesapeake hospital indicted for healthcare fraud involving unnecessary surgical procedures

A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging Chesapeake Regional Medical Center (CRMC) with healthcare fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States and interference with government functions.

Jan. 8, 2025

California Man Admits Role In $10 Million Health Care Kickback Scheme

A California man today admitted his role in a kickback scheme that caused more than $10 million in losses to Medicare, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced.

Jan. 7, 2025

Pharmacy Owner Sentenced to Imprisonment for Health Care Fraud

The owner of Randy’s Gateway Drug in Cedar Bluff, Virginia, was sentenced recently to 18 months in prison on federal healthcare fraud charges after pleading guilty in May for conduct that caused $1.3 million in losses to the federal government.

Jan. 3, 2025

New USAO Task Force to Target Government Contract Fraud

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio is spearheading a new, interagency Supply Chain Oversight and Procurement Enforcement (SCOPE) Task Force, created in 2024, to ensure supply chain integrity and prevent procurement fraud. The task force will serve to support the work of the Government Supply Chain Investigations Unit (GSCIU), led by the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), based in Washington, D.C.

Jan. 3, 2025

Defense Contractor Agrees To Pay $628,000 To Settle False Claims Act Allegations

A Vermont company will pay $628,328 to resolve allegations that it sold substandard items to the United States Army, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced today.