Dec. 19, 2024

Three Plead Guilty in Conspiracy Scheme Involving Bribery of Government Contracting Officer

Three men pleaded guilty today to their respective roles in a conspiracy to bribe a public official announced United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Keith Kelly, Special Agent in Charge for the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Fraud Field Office. Francisco Guerra, 55, of Lexington, Alabama, Coogan Preston, 55, of Columbia, South Carolina, and Jason Ingram, 47, of Rogersville, Alabama, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Liles Burke to conspiracy to bribe a public official. Preston also pleaded guilty to receiving a gratuity as a public official. Sentencing hearings for each of the conspirators have been scheduled for March 18, 2025.

Dec. 18, 2024

Justice Department Files Nationwide Lawsuit Alleging CVS Knowingly Dispensed Controlled Substances in Violation of the Controlled Substances Act and the False Claims Act

In a civil complaint unsealed today in Providence, Rhode Island, the Justice Department alleges that CVS Pharmacy Inc. and various subsidiaries (collectively, CVS) filled unlawful prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and sought reimbursement from federal healthcare programs for unlawful prescriptions in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA). CVS is the country’s largest pharmacy chain, with more than 9,000 pharmacies across the United States.

Dec. 17, 2024

Two Maryland Men Sentenced to Imprisonment for Participating in a Romance Fraud Scheme

United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on December 17, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel M. Traynor sentenced Chinedu Ikenna Nwafor, age 42, from Bowie, Maryland, to serve 25 months in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, and payment of $180,000.00 in restitution after he pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud for participating in a romance fraud scheme that targeted elderly women.

Dec. 17, 2024

Rochester business owner sentenced on tax charge

U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that James Leonardo, 56, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of filing a false tax return, was sentenced to time served and one year supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. Leonard was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $2,267,315.42.

Dec. 16, 2024

Revision Military to Pay $426,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Revision Military Ltd. (Revision) will pay $426,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by selling eyewear products that it falsely represented were wholly sourced in the United States. Revision is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Vermont. Revision manufactures protective eyewear systems, which the United States has purchased for use by military personnel through the Defense Logistics Agency’s Special Operational Equipment Tailored Logistics Support (SOE TLS) Program. The SOE TLS Program requires that textile components in products be sourced from the United States in accordance with the Berry Amendment.

Dec. 13, 2024

Former Department of Defense Deputy Chief Sentenced to Federal Prison for Dogfighting Charges

U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Frederick Douglass Moorefield, Jr., age 64, Arnold, Maryland, to 18 months in federal prison, six months of home detention, and a $20,000 fine, followed by three years of supervised release, for his involvement in a multi-state dogfighting conspiracy. In addition to the fine, Judge Bennett ordered Moorefield to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $21,576.

Dec. 13, 2024

United States Settles False Claims Act Allegations Against Pharmaceutical Distributor for Paying Kickbacks Through Inventory Management Systems

ASD Specialty Healthcare LLC (ASD), doing business as Besse Medical (Besse), has agreed to pay $1.67 million to resolve allegations that it violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and False Claims Act by providing inventory management systems to retina practices at no cost to induce them to purchase drugs from Besse. ASD, headquartered in Carrollton, Texas, distributes specialty medical and pharmaceutical products nationwide, including ophthalmological injections that treat neovascular age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD).

Dec. 12, 2024

New York-Based Businessman Admits $5.3 Million Health Care Fraud And Kickback Conspiracy

A New York-based businessman admitted his role in a health care fraud and illegal kickback conspiracy, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced today. Mansinh Chaudhari, aka “Monsi Koova,” 55, of Illinois, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback statute.

Dec. 12, 2024

Maryland Woman Sentenced for Role in Million Dollar Fraud Scheme at New Orleans Marine Forces Reserve Facility

United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on December 10, 2024, KAMILA HORAKOVA DUDLEY (“DUDLEY”), age 43, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was sentenced to 3 years probation, payment of a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee, and restitution in the amount of $473,702.43 by United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry. DUDLEY previously pled guilty to misprision of a felony, namely, wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 4.

Dec. 11, 2024

2 Defendants Charged in U.S. Courts as Part of Global Crackdown on ‘Booter’ Services Offering Distributed Denial-of-Service Attacks

The Justice Department today announced the court-authorized seizure of 27 internet domains associated with some of the world’s leading DDoS-for-hire services, as well as criminal charges against two defendants who allegedly oversaw computer attack platforms commonly called “booter” services. Federal law enforcement is now seizing the websites that allowed paying users to launch powerful distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that flood targeted computers with information and prevent them from being able to access the internet.