Jan. 23, 2025

Pain-Management Doctor and Medical Practice to Pay $3.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act and Control Substances Act Allegations

Dr. Kamal Kabakibou and his medical practice, Kamal Kabakibou, M.D., P.C., doing business as “The Center for Pain Management,” have settled claims under the False Claims Act (“FCA”) and the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) arising from their alleged billing for medically unnecessary testing and for pre-signing opioid prescriptions to be dispensed by a nurse practitioner while Dr. Kabakibou was out of the country. As part of the settlement, they will jointly pay $3.5 million to the United States and have agreed to submit regular monitoring reports to the Drug Enforcement Administration for the next five years. Dr. Kabakibou and his medical practice have also entered into a three-year integrity agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), which includes an annual claims review by an independent review organization.

Jan. 21, 2025

Military contractor to pay $1.2 million to United States to settle False Claims Act allegations

Neuro Stat Analytical Solutions, LLC (Neurostat), a Texas company that contracted with the United States Air Force to, among other things, develop and implement psychological assessments and occupational health stress screening tools, has agreed to pay $1.2 million to the United States to settle False Claims Act and related allegations.

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.