Criminal and Civil Enforcement
January 2021
- January 14, 2021; U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey
- Pharmacy Owner's Son Admits Role in $24.8 Million Kickback Scheme and $9 Million Conspiracy to Defraud IRS
TRENTON, N.J. - The son of a former a co-owner of a Union City, New Jersey, pharmacy today admitted his role in multimillion-dollar conspiracies to pay kickbacks and bribes to health care professionals and to defraud the IRS, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced. - January 12, 2021; U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Texas
- Texas Company Agrees to Reimburse Medicare for Improper Billing Related to Neurostimulators
LONGVIEW, TEXAS - The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, Stephen J. Cox announced that Spinal Decompression Clinic of Texas ("SDCT") has agreed to pay $330,898.00 to resolve liability under the False Claims Act for the alleged improper billing of electro-acupuncture device neurostimulators. - January 11, 2021; Department of Justice
- Patient Recruiter Convicted in $2.8 Million Telemedicine Scheme Against Medicare
The owner of an Orlando-area telemarketing call center was convicted for his role in a kickback scheme involving expensive genetic tests and fraudulent telemedicine services that resulted in the payment of approximately $2.8 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. - January 11, 2021; U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Wisconsin
- AutoGenomics, Inc. Agrees to Pay Over $2.5 Million for Allegedly Paying Kickbacks
MADISON, WIS. - Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced today that AutoGenomics, Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $2,538,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute by engaging in a scheme to bill Medicare for molecular genetic testing performed for nursing home patients that were induced by the payment of remuneration (which includes money or anything of value), or a "kickback," for the referral of those genetic tests. - January 8, 2021; U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida
- Former Federal Agent and Others Indicted in South Florida
Miami, Fl. - A South Florida federal grand jury indicted a former federal agent and three other Miami-Dade residents for their alleged roles in an operation that involved illegal Oxycodone distribution, federal witness tampering, and obstruction of justice. - January 7, 2021; U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Montana
- Ex-Indian Health Services doctor sentenced to prison, fined for drug kickback scheme while at Blackfeet Indian Reservation
GREAT FALLS - A former Indian Health Services doctor who worked on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and admitted using his job to prescribe a diabetes drug from a pharmacy in exchange for kickbacks was sentenced today to three months in prison, two years of supervised release and fined $10,000, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson said. - January 6, 2021; U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Alaska
- Anchorage Doctor Sentenced For Prescribing Medically Unnecessary Opioids In Health Care Fraud Scheme
Anchorage, Alaska - U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Sharon L. Gleason sentenced Michael Don Robertson, 68, a former Anchorage psychiatrist, to 12 months home confinement and 5 years of probation for conspiracy to commit controlled substance fraud and one count of health care fraud. Robertson knowingly and intentionally distributed controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. - January 6, 2021; U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey
- California Genetic Testing Lab Agrees to Pay $357,584 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations
NEWARK, N.J. - A California diagnostic laboratory will pay $357,584 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting or causing to be submitted claims for genetic tests to Medicare without valid physician oversight, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today. - January 5, 2021; U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey
- Camden County Man Admits Trafficking in Oxycodone Pills
CAMDEN, N.J. - A Camden County, New Jersey, man today admitted conspiring to distribute and selling oxycodone pills in connection with his role in a drug trafficking ring, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced. - January 4, 2021; U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Tennessee
- The United States And Tennessee Resolve Claims With Three Providers For False Claims Act Liability Relating To "P-Stim" Devices For A Total Of $1.72 Million
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - January 4, 2021 - Don Cochran, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, and Herbert Slatery III, Attorney General for the State of Tennessee, announced today that James P. Anderson, M.D. ("Dr. Anderson"), as owner of Affiliated Neurologists, PLC; Charles F. Spencer, D.C., as owner of Total Family Physicians Center PLLC d/b/a Total Family Health & Wellness ("Total Family"); and Mitchell P. Shea, D.C., as owner of Chiro2Med of Tennessee P.C. ("Chiro2Med"), agreed to pay the United States and Tennessee a total of $1.72 million to resolve liability under the False Claims Act for the alleged improper billing for electro-acupuncture using a peri-auricular stimulation device known as "P-Stim" that does not qualify for reimbursement under Medicare or TennCare.