News Releases

  • Former VA Hospice Nurse Sentenced for Diverting and Tampering with Morphine Meant for Dying Veterans
    2/24/2021
    Kathleen Noftle, of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 40 months in prison and three years of supervised release for diverting morphine while she was employed as a nurse in the hospice unit at the Bedford VA Medical Center. In October 2020, Noftle pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product and one count of obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge.
  • VA Procurement Supervisor Indicted for Pocketing Kickbacks
    2/5/2021
    Thomas E. Duncan, a supervisor at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, was charged with five counts of wire fraud, one count of witness tampering, and one count of falsifying records. Duncan allegedly received approximately $36,250 in kickbacks from Daniel Dingle, the president of a medical supply company, in exchange for steering at least $1.7 million in product orders to Dingle’s company, many of which were never fulfilled. Dingle was charged with four counts of wire fraud.
  • Owner of Southeastern Physical Therapy to Pay $152,000 to Settle False Claims Allegations
    2/5/2021
    Darren Cady, owner of Southeastern Physical Therapy in Asheville, North Carolina, agreed to resolve allegations that he received illegal kickbacks and violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims to the VA for reimbursement for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment.
  • Tampa, Florida Businesswoman Pleads Guilty to Criminal Healthcare and Tax Fraud Charges
    2/4/2021
    Kelly Wolfe, 49, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and filing a false tax return. In addition, Wolfe and her company, Regency, Inc., have agreed to pay up to $20,332,516, to resolve allegations that Wolfe and Regency violated the False Claims Act, including falsifying documentation in order to fraudulently establish durable medical equipment corporations to bill Medicare and CHAMPVA for medically unnecessary equipment.
  • West Virginia Woman Who Faked Her Own Death Sentenced for Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice
    2/3/2021
    Julie Wheeler of West Virginia was sentenced to 12 months and one day for her role in a conspiracy to obstruct justice. Wheeler’s sentence was ordered to be served consecutively with her 42-month sentence previously imposed for a healthcare fraud conviction. In a case that garnered national media attention, Wheeler and her husband, Rodney Wheeler, conspired to fake her death to avoid sentencing for healthcare fraud, specifically her overbilling of a VA program for spina bifida care. Rodney Wheeler also pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy and will be sentenced on April 5, 2021.

  • Former VA Hospice Nurse Sentenced for Diverting and Tampering with Morphine Meant for Dying Veterans
    2/24/2021
    Kathleen Noftle, of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 40 months in prison and three years of supervised release for diverting morphine while she was employed as a nurse in the hospice unit at the Bedford VA Medical Center. In October 2020, Noftle pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product and one count of obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge.
  • VA Procurement Supervisor Indicted for Pocketing Kickbacks
    2/5/2021
    Thomas E. Duncan, a supervisor at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, was charged with five counts of wire fraud, one count of witness tampering, and one count of falsifying records. Duncan allegedly received approximately $36,250 in kickbacks from Daniel Dingle, the president of a medical supply company, in exchange for steering at least $1.7 million in product orders to Dingle’s company, many of which were never fulfilled. Dingle was charged with four counts of wire fraud.
  • Owner of Southeastern Physical Therapy to Pay $152,000 to Settle False Claims Allegations
    2/5/2021
    Darren Cady, owner of Southeastern Physical Therapy in Asheville, North Carolina, agreed to resolve allegations that he received illegal kickbacks and violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims to the VA for reimbursement for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment.
  • Tampa, Florida Businesswoman Pleads Guilty to Criminal Healthcare and Tax Fraud Charges
    2/4/2021
    Kelly Wolfe, 49, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and filing a false tax return. In addition, Wolfe and her company, Regency, Inc., have agreed to pay up to $20,332,516, to resolve allegations that Wolfe and Regency violated the False Claims Act, including falsifying documentation in order to fraudulently establish durable medical equipment corporations to bill Medicare and CHAMPVA for medically unnecessary equipment.
  • West Virginia Woman Who Faked Her Own Death Sentenced for Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice
    2/3/2021
    Julie Wheeler of West Virginia was sentenced to 12 months and one day for her role in a conspiracy to obstruct justice. Wheeler’s sentence was ordered to be served consecutively with her 42-month sentence previously imposed for a healthcare fraud conviction. In a case that garnered national media attention, Wheeler and her husband, Rodney Wheeler, conspired to fake her death to avoid sentencing for healthcare fraud, specifically her overbilling of a VA program for spina bifida care. Rodney Wheeler also pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy and will be sentenced on April 5, 2021.
  • Arlington, Virginia Businessman Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Multiple Federal Agencies
    2/3/2021
    Robert S. Stewart Jr., 35, pleaded guilty to making false statements in order to obtain multimillion-dollar government contracts, COVID-19 emergency relief loans, and undeserved military service benefits. Stewart, the owner and president of Federal Government Experts LLC, also defrauded the VA by falsely claiming to be entitled to veteran’s benefits for serving in the Marine Corps when, in fact, he never served in the Marines. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, 2021.
  • New York Man Charged with Aggravated Harassment of VA Employees
    1/28/2021
    Robert Seifert, age 62, of Utica, New York, was charged with aggravated harassment for making telephonic threats to VA employees at the Albany Stratton VA Medical Center.
  • Businessman Charged in Scheme to Hoard Personal Protective Equipment and Price Gouge Health Care Providers
    1/27/2021
    Kenneth Bryan Ritchey, 57, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, was charged with defrauding the United States and other health care providers in a $1.8 million scheme related to acquiring and hoarding personal protective equipment and price gouging health care providers, including numerous VA hospitals.
  • Former VA Doctor Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Involuntary Manslaughter and Mail Fraud
    1/25/2021
    Robert Morris Levy, 54, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and ordered to pay approximately $497,000 in restitution for one count each of involuntary manslaughter and mail fraud. Levy served as the chief of pathology and laboratory medical services at the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks in Fayetteville from 2005 until his termination in 2018. Levy was suspended in 2016 for being intoxicated on duty. Following a three-month treatment program, he returned to work under the condition he maintain sobriety and submit to random alcohol and drug screening. To avoid testing positive, however, Levy illegally used an undetectable chemical substance that causes prolonged intoxication. While employed by the VA, Levy incorrectly diagnosed diseases and falsified medical records, including the misdiagnosis of lung cancer in a veteran who would later die without treatment. “This sentence should send a strong message that those who abuse their positions of trust in caring for veterans will be held accountable. I thank the VA OIG special agents who worked tirelessly on this case and the US Attorney’s Office for its outstanding efforts. Our thoughts are with all those harmed by Dr. Levy’s actions and we hope they find some small measure of comfort from what happened here today,” said VA Inspector General Michael J. Missal.
  • Former VA Doctor Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of Veterans
    1/25/2021
    Jonathan Yates, 52, of Bluefield, Virginia, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for sexually abusing veterans. While employed as doctor of osteopathic medicine at the VA Medical Center in Beckley, West Virginia, Yates rubbed the genitals of two veterans and digitally penetrated a third veteran’s rectum under the guise of legitimate medicine. This conduct, performed while Yates was acting under color of law in his capacity as a VA physician and a federal employee, deprived the veterans of their constitutional right to bodily integrity and caused them pain. “This sentence is the culmination of the exceptional work of the OIG special agents and our law enforcement partners. Our thoughts are with the veterans who suffered horrific abuse by a doctor entrusted with their care, and we remain vigilant in our efforts to keep all VA patients safe from harm,” said VA Inspector General Michael J. Missal.
  • Case Manager and Property Agent Plead Guilty to Stealing Federal Funds Designated to Help Homeless Veterans
    1/21/2021
    A former case manager at a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating veteran homelessness and a property agent have pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal approximately $124,000 in federal funds intended to help homeless veterans. Between approximately October 2013 and November 2015, Camelia Revels was employed at HOPE Atlanta where she was responsible for confirming a veteran’s eligibility to participate in the program, assisting veterans in finding suitable housing, and preparing the vouchers to secure issuance of funds to vendors. Among the vendors Revels provided to her supervisor for approval were companies that were owned and operated by Katrise Jones. Jones was supposed to act as a property agent and assist the veterans with finding suitable housing. In December 2014, HOPE Atlanta learned that Jones was not making rental payments on behalf of veterans and directed Revels to no longer work with her. Revels ignored this directive and continued her scheme with Jones, which included the opening of a joint bank account where stolen funds were deposited. Sentencing is scheduled for April 2021. “The VA OIG’s continued oversight of VA’s grant programs, which are used to provide housing for at-risk homeless veterans, is one of the agency’s highest priorities because it safeguards the integrity of VA’s programs designed to end veteran homelessness. As detailed in the charging document, the defendants’ fraud scheme adversely impacted the well-being of homeless veterans, their families, and the programs designed to assist them during a time of need,” said David Spilker, special agent in charge at the VA OIG.
  • VA Respiratory Therapist Sentenced to Prison for Stealing and Selling a Ventilator and Other Medical Supplies
    1/11/2021
    Gene Wamsley, 42, of Bonney Lake, Washington, was sentenced to three months in prison and nine months of home confinement for theft of government property and ordered to pay $132,291 in restitution. Wamsley admitted to stealing and selling a ventilator and other respiratory medical equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2020, the Seattle VA Medical Center reported two bronchoscopes, used for examining a patient’s airway, were missing. A third bronchoscope was reported missing in April 2020. Wamsley admitted to stealing and selling three bronchoscopes worth over $100,000 for $15,750 via eBay. During a search of Wamsley’s home, law enforcement seized a fourth stolen bronchoscope and a stolen $6,000 sleep apnea device. The VA Office of Inspector General investigation also revealed that in April 2020, Wamsley stole a $9,950 respirator and sold it via eBay for $6,000.
  • 73-Year-Old Fayetteville Man Sentenced to 5 Years of Probation for Obtaining Almost $1M in VA Benefits Through Fraud
    1/6/2021
    William Dosher Cain, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, was sentenced on January 5, 2021, to five years of probation and ordered to perform 250 hours of community service for fraudulently obtaining healthcare benefits from the VA. He was also ordered to pay $903,668 in restitution and forfeited $155,041 in cash, a modified 2018 Toyota Sienna van, and a mobility scooter. In a related civil action, he forfeited a condominium. Cain, an Army veteran, represented to the VA that as a result of shrapnel wounds sustained in Vietnam in 1965 he had suffered the loss of use of both legs. Cain presented that he was unable to perform daily activities such as dressing and bathing without assistance, and that he was dependent on a wheelchair or motorized scooter for mobility. However, Cain maintained an active lifestyle throughout this time, including working as a firearms instructor, enjoying beach activities, playing basketball, dancing, and attending social events. He also bought a third-floor condominium in a building with no elevator. Cain pleaded guilty on June 17, 2020.
  • Former Bank Manager Sentenced to Prison After Stealing Nearly $1.2 Million in Benefits from the Social Security Administration and VA
    1/4/2021
    Javier Montano, 57, a former bank branch manager in Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison after pleading guilty to fraudulently obtaining nearly $1.2 million in social security and VA benefits. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Montano was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1,196,075.95 in restitution to the Social Security Administration and VA. “The VA Office of Inspector General tirelessly pursues allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse affecting VA programs,” said VA Inspector General Michael J. Missal. “This conduct was particularly disturbing as it involved an individual who abused his position of trust.”

  • TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp. Agrees to Pay $179.7 Million to Resolve Overpayments from the VA
    12/31/2020
    TriWest Healthcare Alliance, a Phoenix, Arizona corporation, has agreed to pay the United States $179,700,000 to resolve claims that it received overpayments from the VA in connection with its administration of certain VA health care programs. TriWest administers government health care programs, to include certain portions of the VA Patient-Centered Community Care Program (PC3) and the VA’s former Veterans Choice Program (Choice). Both programs have enabled veterans to obtain medical care from providers in their communities. As an administrator of these programs, TriWest is paid by the VA to coordinate medical appointments and make payments to health care providers.
  • Veteran Indicted for Falsifying Records of Travel for Treatment
    12/22/2020
    Edward Parks of Liberal, Kansas, was charged with one count of submitting false claims for travel reimbursement to the Department of Veterans Affairs and one count of making a false statement to investigators from the VA’s Office of Inspector General. The indictment alleges he falsely claimed he travelled in 2019 to Wichita, Kansas, from Liberal, Kansas, for medical appointments in order to be reimbursed under the Beneficiary Travel Program. If convicted, he could face up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The VA OIG investigated and Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett is prosecuting.
  • Government Contractor Admits Scheme to Inflate Costs on Federal Projects and Pays $11 Million to Resolve Criminal and Civil Probes
    12/17/2020
    Schneider Electric Buildings Americas, Inc. (Schneider Electric), a nationwide provider of electricity solutions for buildings and data centers with its principal place of business in Carrollton, Texas, will pay $11 million to resolve criminal and civil investigations relating to kickbacks and overcharges on eight federally-funded energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs), the Department of Justice announced on December 17, 2020. Under the contracts, Schneider Electric was to install a variety of energy saving upgrades such as solar panels, LED lighting, and insulation in federal buildings.
  • Agawam Man Sentenced for Defrauding VA Hospitals by Failing to Inspect Medical Gas Systems
    12/17/2020
    A vendor for several Veterans Affairs medical facilities was sentenced on December 17, 2020 for defrauding the VA by creating false invoices and reports for medical gas inspections that never took place. Chester Wojcik, 49, of Agawam, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to two years of probation. In August 2020, Wojcik pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
  • Medical Equipment Company Handicare USA, LLC, Agrees to Pay $800,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Action
    12/16/2020
    Handicare USA (doing business as Prism Medical Services), agreed to pay the United States $800,000 to resolve allegations that it knowingly submitted false claims to the Department of Veteran Affairs (“VA”) in the performance of various contracts to install patient ceiling lifts in VA hospitals.
  • Three Family Members Sentenced In Connection With Defrauding Veterans Health Care In The Villages
    12/8/2020
    Miller Wilson, Jr. (50, Sparr), his daughter, Myoshi Wilson (26, Citra), and his ex-wife, Erica Wilson (43, Ocala) were sentenced on December 8, 2020, by Senior United States District Judge James D. Whittemore for their roles in a scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs health care benefits. Each had previously pleaded guilty.
  • Michigan Woman Sentenced for Defrauding U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs of Over $1.7 Million in Benefits
    12/4/2020
    A Michigan woman was sentenced on December 4, 2020, to three years and five months in prison after pleading guilty to carrying out a scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of more than $1.7 million in veterans benefits, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
  • Workrite Companies to Pay $7.1 Million to Settle Alleged Furniture Overcharges
    12/3/2020
    Ergonomic office furniture maker Workrite Ergonomics LLC, a Delaware company, and its parent, Knape & Vogt Manufacturing Co. (collectively, Workrite), have agreed to pay $7.1 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that they overcharged the federal government for office furniture under General Services Administration (GSA) contracts, the Department of Justice announced on December 3, 2020.
  • Federal Indictment Charges Buncombe County Man for Receiving Veteran Benefits Based on Fraudulent Service-Connected Disabilities
    12/2/2020
    U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray announced on December 2, 2020, that John Paul Cook, 57, of Alexander, N.C. is facing multiple federal charges for defrauding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA) by receiving veteran benefits based on fraudulent service-connected disabilities.
  • Florida Attorney Admits Role in $7.5 Million Bank Extortion Scheme
    12/1/2020
    A Florida attorney, on December 1, 2020, admitted his role in a scheme to extort $7.5 million from a California bank, Attorney for the United States Rachael A. Honig announced. Richard L. Williams, 73, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to an information charging him with conspiracy to transmit an interstate communication with the intent to extort.
  • For-Profit Trade School Owner Charged With Defrauding VA, Student Veterans
    11/23/2020
    The owner of a for-profit trade school has been charged with defrauding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and student veterans, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
  • Former Cleveland VA Medical Center Supervisor Charged with Theft of Government Property and Fraud
    11/20/2020
    U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman announced on November 20, 2020, that a grand jury sitting in Cleveland has returned a 28-count indictment charging William H. Precht, age 53, of Kent, Ohio, with theft of government property, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud, wire fraud, and false statements relating to health care matters.
  • Physician Indicted on Assault Charges
    11/5/2020
    Dr. Kenneth C. Ramdat, a physician employed at the Louis A. Johnson VA Hospital in Clarksburg, West Virginia, is facing federal criminal charges. Ramdat, 65, of Silver Springs, Maryland, was indicted on two counts of “Abusive Sexual Contact” and two counts of “Simple Assault.” Ramdat is accused of touching two staff women’s breasts without permission in two separate incidents in August 2019 and October 2019 at the hospital in Harrison County.
  • Raeford Woman Had Initial Appearance on Wire and Mail Fraud Charges
    11/2/2020
    A Raeford woman self-surrendered on charges of wire and mail fraud. According to court documents, Tracey Cathey McNeill, Age 50, devised a scheme and artifice to defraud the Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management by obtaining disability, retirement, and life insurance payments issued by those agencies for the benefit of W.R., an individual in McNeill’s care at the time of the alleged scheme. The documents allege that between April 2015 and February 2017, McNeill received over $90,000 in benefits from the agencies.
  • Enfield Man Charged with Defrauding the Department of Veterans Affairs to Receive Benefits
    10/29/2020
    John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veteran Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; and James M. Noble, Special Agent in Charge, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Northeast Region, announced that DERRICK BREWER, 35, of Enfield, was arrested on October 29, 2020 on a criminal complaint charging him with offenses related to his submission of altered documents to the Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”).
  • Owner of Local Technical Training School Sentenced for Defrauding the VA out of almost $30 Million in G.I. Bill Education Benefits
    10/27/2020
    Nimesh Shah, owner of Blue Star Learning, a technical training school in San Diego, was sentenced in federal court on October 27, 2020 to 45 months in custody as a result of a multi-year scheme that defrauded the Department of Veterans Affairs out of almost $30 million in Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits.
  • New Kensington Man Indicted for Misappropriating VA Beneficiary Funds
    10/27/2020
    A resident of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of misappropriation of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ("VA") beneficiary funds, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced on October 27, 2020.
  • U.S. Navy Service Members Sentenced in Sweeping Corruption and Insurance Fraud Scheme
    10/23/2020
    Two U.S. Navy service members caught in a sweeping corruption case involving false claims to the Traumatic Servicemembers Group Life Insurance Program were sentenced in federal court on October 23, 2020.
  • Former VA Hospice Nurse Pleads Guilty to Diverting and Tampering with Morphine Meant for Dying Veterans
    10/21/2020
    A Tewksbury woman pleaded guilty on October 21, 2020, to charges of diverting morphine while she employed as a nurse in the hospice unit at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center campus in Bedford.
  • OC Man Who Fraudulently Obtained VA Benefits by Falsely Claiming to Be a Wounded Marine Sentenced to Over One Year in Prison
    10/8/2020
    An Orange County man who falsely held himself out to be a United States Marine Corps combat veteran and two-time Purple Heart recipient to fraudulently obtain veterans’ health care and housing benefits was sentenced on October 8, 2020, to 16 months in federal prison.
  • Bergen County Man Charged with Conspiring to Steal More Than $7.8 Million Worth of HIV Medication from Veterans Affairs Medical Center
    10/7/2020
    A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was charged for his role in stealing prescription HIV medication from the pharmacy of the East Orange VA Medical Center, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced on October 7, 2020.
  • Rochester Man Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison For Chinappi's Gun Store Burglary And Lying About Military Medals
    10/7/2020
    U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced on October 7, 2020, that Marcos D. Guzman, 36, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of theft of firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee, possession of firearms by a convicted felon, and fraudulent representations about the receipt of military medals, was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. Guzman was also ordered to pay $41,500 in restitution to August Chinappi, former owner of Chinappi’s Firearms & Supplies.
  • Veterans Affairs respiratory therapist pleads guilty to stealing and selling COVID-19 respiratory supplies
    10/5/2020
    A respiratory therapist at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Seattle pleaded guilty on October 5, 2020, in U.S. District Court in Seattle to theft of government property, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. GENE WAMSLEY, 41, of Bonney Lake, Washington, admits stealing a ventilator and other respiratory medical equipment in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and selling it for his own gain. WAMSLEY faces up to ten years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge James L. Robart on January 11, 2021.
  • Trucking School Owner Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining $4.1 Million in Veterans’ Education Benefits
    10/5/2020
    The owner of a San Fernando Valley trucking school was sentenced on October 5, 2020, to 48 months for leading a sophisticated scheme to defraud the United States Department of Veterans Affairs out of more than $4 million in education benefits involving over 100 veterans who did not attend classes.
  • District of New Jersey Announces Charges in Health Care Fraud Cases as Part of Nationwide Federal Law Enforcement Effort
    9/30/2020
    Six individuals have been charged in New Jersey for their roles in a massive nationwide prescription medication and durable medical equipment telemedicine scheme, and three others admitted their roles in three other health care fraud cases. The announcements are part of a federal law enforcement effort to crack down on health care fraud nationwide.
  • Doctor Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Telemedicine Investigation
    9/25/2020
    A Dallas-area doctor pled guilty on September 25, 2020, to obstructing a federal health care investigation. Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Michael C. Mentavlos, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service Southwest Field Office, Patrick Roche, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General South Central Field Office, Miranda L. Bennett, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Diane Upchurch, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Little Rock Field Office, announced Dr. Lorraine De Blanche, 56, pled guilty this afternoon before U.S. District Judge Brian S. Miller.
  • Spring Hill Man Pleads Guilty To Theft Of Government Funds
    9/23/2020
    David Naylor (58, Spring Hill) has pleaded guilty to theft of government funds. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
  • Texas Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in $5.5 Million Federal Worker’s Compensation Overbilling Scheme
    9/22/2020
    A Texas woman was sentenced to 18 months in prison on September 22, 2020, for her role in a $5.5 million scheme to overbill the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Workers’ Compensation Program for physical therapy and other services.
  • Boca Raton Doctor Pleads Guilty To $20 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme
    9/18/2020
    Dr. Richard Davidson (41, Boca Raton) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Davidson has also agreed to forfeit $2,472,087 to the United States, which represents the proceeds he obtained through the commission of the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
  • Former Veterans Affairs Doctor Pleads Guilty to Three Civil Rights Offenses
    9/17/2020
    A doctor of osteopathic medicine who formerly worked at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Beckley, West Virginia, pleaded guilty on September 17, 2020, to three counts of depriving veterans of their civil rights under color of law by sexually abusing them.
  • Former Veterans Affairs Doctor Pleads Guilty to Three Civil Rights Offenses
    9/17/2020
    A doctor of osteopathic medicine who formerly worked at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Beckley, West Virginia, pleaded guilty on September 17, 2020, to three counts of depriving veterans of their civil rights under color of law by sexually abusing them.
  • Buffalo Man Sentenced For Assaulting A VA Police Officer
    9/16/2020
    U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced on September 16, 2020, that Darnell Curry, 27, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal officer, was sentenced to serve six months in prison by U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr.
  • Senior Veterans Affairs Official in Philadelphia Indicted for Soliciting Bribes
    9/16/2020
    United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Ralph Johnson, 54, of Kinzers, PA, former Chief of Environmental Management Services at the Corporal Michael J. Cresenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Philadelphia, PA, was charged by Indictment for soliciting and accepting bribes in connection with contracts and purchase orders at the medical center.
  • Former VA Employee Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $70,000 Using Mobile Payment Application
    9/14/2020
    A former Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) employee was sentenced on September 14, 2020 for embezzling nearly $70,000 in VA funds. Michael Donaher, 41, of Lakeville, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to time served (approximately one day), three years of supervised release with the first six months to be served in a sober house, and ordered to pay $69,720 in restitution. The government recommended a sentence of one year and one day incarceration. In May 2020, Donaher pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement and theft of public money, property or records after being arrested and charged in January.
  • VA Hospital Nurse Charged with Using her Position to Obtain Painkillers
    9/11/2020
    A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced on September 11, 2020.
  • Las Vegas Resident Pleads Guilty To Fraudulently Obtaining Nearly $1.2 Million In Benefits From The Social Security Administration And Department Of Veterans Affairs
    9/10/2020
    A Las Vegas resident pleaded guilty in federal court on September 9, 2020 to fraudulently obtaining nearly $1.2 million in Social Security Administration (SSA) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
  • Owner Of Fraudulent Telemarketing Company Sentenced To Four Years In Federal Prison
    9/4/2020
    Chief U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday on September 4, 2020, sentenced Samuel Friedman (45, Land O’ Lakes) to four years in federal prison for health care fraud. The court also ordered Friedman to forfeit his interests in real property as well as a bank account containing nearly $475,000, which were traceable to proceeds of the offense. Restitution was ordered in the amount of $3.42 million.
  • Springfield Woman Sentenced to Prison for Health Care Fraud and Tax Evasion
    9/4/2020
    On September 2, 2020, a Springfield woman who owned several durable medical equipment stores in Oregon was sentenced to federal prison for defrauding six health insurance plans of approximately $1.3 million and for evading $99,000 in federal income taxes, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
  • Three Family Members Plead Guilty In Connection With Defrauding Veterans Health Care In The Villages
    8/26/2020
    Miller Wilson, Jr. (50, Sparr), his daughter, Myoshi Wilson (26, Citra), and Erica Wilson (43, Ocala) have each pleaded guilty for their roles a scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs health care benefits.
  • Agawam Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding VA Hospitals by Failing to Inspect Medical Gas Systems
    8/20/2020
    A vendor for several Veterans Affairs medical facilities pleaded guilty today to a scheme to profit by billing for, but failing to perform, critical medical gas inspections at VA facilities. Chester Wojcik, 49, of Agawam, Mass., pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Nov. 19, 2020.
  • NextHealth Marketer Charged in $60 Million Kickback Scheme
    8/20/2020
    A pharmacy marketer who allegedly collected more than $60 million in illegal kickbacks has been charged with violating the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, Northern District of Texas First Assistant U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah announced on August 20, 2020.
  • Florida Man Pleads Guilty To Threatening A VA Employee
    8/19/2020
    U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced on August 19, 2020, that Michael F. Hanley, 49, of Clearwater, Florida, pleaded guilty, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer, to threatening a federal employee. The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and $100,000 fine.
  • Wheelers Indicted for Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice
    8/19/2020
    A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Julie Wheeler, 44, and her husband Rodney Wheeler, 48, both of Beaver, with conspiracy to obstruct justice, according to United States Attorney Mike Stuart.
  • Max Prison Sentence + Restitution For Discharged Veteran Who Faked Military Honors And Combat-Related Mental Health Illness To Claim VA Benefits
    8/19/2020
    A veteran who reaped federal monetary benefits for faking a mental health condition and who falsely claimed to have earned two of the highest honors bestowed for military service was sentenced to the top of his sentencing guideline range and will pay restitution for his crimes, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.
  • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS POLICE OFFICER INDICTED FOR UNAUTHORIZED LEADS AND OHLEG SEARCHES AND TAMPERING WITH RECORDS
    8/12/2020
    Prosecutor Ron O’Brien said, “This man was an entrusted employee who abused his position to obtain law enforcement data on coworkers and acquaintances for his own personal non-law enforcement purposes.” Prosecutor Ron O’Brien announces that the Franklin County Grand Jury has returned a 24 count indictment against Horace Ryan Greene of Springfield, age 54, for 6 counts of Unauthorized Use of the Law Enforcement Automated Database System (LEADS), 15 counts of Unauthorized Use of the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway (OHLEG), and 3 counts of Tampering with Records. Greene has worked for the Columbus VA Ambulatory Care Center as a police officer since January of 2017. “It is alleged that between June of 2017 through October of 2019, Greene conducted unauthorized searches to acquire personal information on other Columbus VA police officers and VA employees, as well as non-VA employees,” O’Brien stated. O’Brien commended the VA Office of Inspector General Criminal Investigations Division, the VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement, and the Columbus VA Police for their investigation of this case. Arraignment for Greene is scheduled for Wednesday, August 26th at 1:30 pm in courtroom 2A at 345 S. High Street in downtown Columbus.
  • North Country Man Sentenced for Making a False Statement to the VA
    8/11/2020
    Alex Cheney, age 55, of Moriah, New York, was sentenced on August 11, 2020, to 3 years of probation and 100 hours of community service for making a false statement to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in order to receive Individual Unemployability benefits.
  • Pensacola Man Pleads Guilty To Possessing Firearms At Veterans Affairs Facility
    7/31/2020
    United States Attorney Lawrence Keefe, of the Northern District of Florida, announced on July 30, 2020, that Pensacola resident Howell E. Camp, 58, pled guilty to carrying a concealed firearm and possession of firearms on federal property, stemming from a May 6 incident at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Joint Ambulatory Care Clinic in Pensacola. Camp admitted that he illegally possessed a 5.56 millimeter Del-Ton Incorporated rifle and a 9 millimeter Smith & Wesson pistol while at the federal facility.
  • Former Cemetery Owner Sentenced For Defrauding Customers
    7/29/2020
    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Arminda Martin, age 49, formerly of York County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on July 28, 2020, to 12 months’ and one day imprisonment to be followed by two years of supervised release, by Chief District Court Judge John E. Jones, III, for conspiring to commit mail fraud. The sentence represents a downward adjustment of approximately 32 months to account for prison time that Martin has served for a related fraud scheme in Ohio.
  • Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces $49 Million Settlement With Biotech Testing Company For Fraudulent Billing And Kickback Practices
    7/23/2020
    Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Scott J. Lampert, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health, Office of Inspector General (“HHS OIG”), Leigh-Alistair Barzey, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Field Office of the U.S. Department of Defense - Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (“DCIS”), and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”), Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office (“VA OIG”), announced on July, 23, 2020, a $49 million settlement with PROGENITY, INC. (“PROGENITY”), a San Diego-based biotechnology company that provides molecular and diagnostic tests. The settlement resolves claims that PROGENITY fraudulently billed federal healthcare programs for prenatal tests and provided kickbacks to physicians to induce to them to order PROGENITY tests for their patients. The Office’s lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court alleges that PROGENITY overbilled Medicaid and the VA by fraudulently using a billing code that misrepresented the tests provided. The lawsuit further alleges that PROGENITY provided illegal kickbacks in the form of excessive “draw fees” to physicians, meals and happy hours for physicians and their staff, and the improper reduction or waiver of patient coinsurance and deductible payments.
  • Bucks County Man Pleads Guilty to Faking a Military Career as a Navy SEAL, Stealing from the Government, and Straw Purchasing Firearms
    7/22/2020
    United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Richard Meleski, 58, of Chalfont, PA, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including healthcare fraud, mail fraud, stolen valor, and aiding and abetting straw purchases of firearms.
  • Atlanta man arraigned for embezzling over $200,000 from his disabled father’s VA account
    7/22/2020
    William Dorsey, Jr., has been arraigned for embezzling over $200,000 from his father’s beneficiary account funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA.)
  • Oakland County Woman Accused of Stealing $70,000 from Elderly Victim
    7/16/2020
    An Oakland County woman was arraigned recently on multiple charges after she allegedly stole more than $70,000 from an elderly veteran. Margaret Risdon, 60, of Bloomfield Hills, was arraigned July 16 in 48th District Court before Magistrate Andra Richardson on one count of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult between $50,000 and $100,000, a 15-year felony, and two counts of failing to file taxes, both five-year felonies.
  • OIG Statement on Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia
    7/14/2020
    VA Inspector General Michael Missal, US Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia Bill Powell, and other law enforcement partners announced today that Reta Mays, of Harrison County, West Virginia, pleaded guilty to seven counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of seven veterans at the Louis A. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Mays, a nursing assistant, also pleaded guilty to one count of assault with intent to commit murder involving the death of an eighth veteran. Mays admitted to administering insulin to several patients with the intent to cause their deaths.
  • Former VA Hospital Nursing Assistant Admits to Murdering Seven Veterans and Assault with Intent to Commit Murder of an Eighth
    7/14/2020
    A former nursing assistant pled guilty on July 14, 2020, in federal court here to murder and assault charges in the deaths of eight veterans at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Clarksburg, West Virginia, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
  • Universal Health Services, Inc. to Pay $117 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations
    7/10/2020
    United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced on July 10, 2020, that Universal Health Services, Inc. and UHS of Delaware, Inc. (together, UHS) have agreed to pay $117 million to resolve alleged violations of the False Claims Act for billing for medically unnecessary inpatient behavioral health services and failing to provide adequate and appropriate services. UHS, which is headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, owns and provides management and administrative services to nearly 200 acute care inpatient psychiatric hospitals and residential psychiatric and behavioral treatment facilities nationwide.
  • Montana Psychiatrist Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of an Opioid
    7/7/2020
    A Montana psychiatrist who admitted to unlawfully prescribing and abusing an opioid was sentenced on July 7, 2020, to five years of probation and ordered to pay a fine of $4,000, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. In addition, as part of his sentence the psychiatrist cannot prescribe any controlled substance during his five years of probation.
  • Man Who Shot Firearm Inside West Palm Beach VA Medical Center Committed to 25 Years in Custody
    7/6/2020
    On July 6, 2020, federal district judge Kenneth A. Marra committed a man who fired gunshots inside a West Palm Beach VA Medical Center to the custody of the U.S. Attorney General for 25 years of mental health care and treatment at a suitable medical facility. The commitment is a provisional sentence for sixty-year old defendant Larry Ray Bon, a former West Palm Beach resident. If during Bon’s commitment, it is determined that he no longer needs treatment, Bon will reappear in federal court, where a judge will sentence him to a federal prison term of between 12.5 and 25 years. Lawyers for the U.S. and Bon jointly recommended this provisional sentence arrangement for the defendant.
  • Deltona Man Sentenced For Theft Of Government Funds
    7/2/2020
    U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Bobby Morlen (54, Deltona) to two years in federal prison for theft of government funds. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment of $131,457.16, the amount of proceeds from the offense, and ordered Morlen to pay restitution. A federal jury had found Morlen guilty on January 22, 2020.
  • Owner Of Fraudulent Telemarketing Company Pleads Guilty To Health Care Fraud Conspiracy
    7/2/2020
    Samuel Friedman (47, Pasco County) pleaded guilty July 2, 2020, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, Friedman owned and operated a telemarketing operation known as SKF Enterprises, LLC. SKF targeted the Medicare-aged population to generate orders for durable medical equipment (“DME”) and cancer genetic (“CGx”) testing. SKF’s call center employees were trained to follow a script of triage questions designed to upsell DME and CGx testing to Medicare beneficiaries. SKF then packaged this information into the format of a prescription for doctors’ approval under the guise of “telemedicine,” but no proper telemedicine occurred. Rather, doctors’ signatures were secured in exchange for bribes and kickbacks. During the scheme, Friedman bribed numerous doctors, through fraudulent “telemedicine” companies, to sign and to approve thousands of DME and CGx-testing orders, regardless of medical necessity. Once signed by doctors, Friedman sold the prescriptions to client-conspirators for submission to Medicare and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The conspirators attempted to conceal their illegal kickback relationships using sham boilerplate marketing agreements. For these illegal sales, conspirators paid SKF more than $3.4 million.
  • Rochester Gun Store Burglar Admits To Lying About Military Medals
    7/2/2020
    U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Marcos D. Guzman, 36, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to making fraudulent representations about the receipt of military medals before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who is handling the case, stated that Guzman lied to the U.S. Probation Office about his military service and being awarded two Purple Hearts in order to try to get a lower sentence on two pending firearms offenses. Specifically, the defendant lied about serving in the United States National Guard, being deployed to Iraq for 18 months, and receiving two Purple Hearts for saving another soldier on the battlefield in Iraq. Guzman provided photographs to the U.S. Probation Office that purported to show the two Purple Heart certificates. The Purple Heart certificates were fake. In April 2019, Guzman was convicted of theft of firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee and possession of firearms by a convicted felon, after stealing approximately 87 firearms from Chinappi’s Firearms & Supplies, a gun store on West Ridge Road in Spencerport, NY. Co-defendants Dakota Sarfaty and Luis D. Marcano-Agosto have also been convicted. Many of the firearms were sold on the streets of Rochester.
  • Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces $678 Million Settlement Of Fraud Lawsuit Against Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation For Operating Sham Speaker Programs Through Which It Paid Over $100 Million To Doctors To Unlawfully Induce Them To Prescribe No
    7/1/2020
    Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Gregory E. Demske, Chief Counsel to the Inspector General of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), Scott J. Lampert, Special Agent in Charge of HHS-OIG’s New York Regional Office, Leigh-Alistair Barzey, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Field Office of the U.S. Department of Defense - Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (“DCIS”), and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office (“VA OIG”), announced July 1, 2020, that the United States has settled a civil fraud lawsuit against NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICALS CORPORATION (“NOVARTIS”), part of Swiss drug manufacturer Novartis International AG, alleging that NOVARTIS violated the federal False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute by providing doctors with cash payments, recreational outings, lavish meals, and expensive alcohol to induce them to prescribe NOVARTIS cardiovascular and diabetes drugs reimbursed by federal healthcare programs. Specifically, the Government alleged that NOVARTIS organized tens of thousands of sham educational events at high-end restaurants and other venues, paid exorbitant speaker fees to doctors who gave no meaningful presentations, and provided expensive meals and alcohol to doctor attendees and their guests. When those doctors then prescribed NOVARTIS’s cardiovascular and diabetes drugs, federal healthcare programs paid hundreds of millions of dollars in reimbursements for these tainted prescriptions. As part of the settlement, approved today by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe, NOVARTIS will pay the United States and various States a total of $678 million. NOVARTIS also made extensive factual admissions in the settlement and agreed to strict limitations on any future speaker programs, including reductions to the amount it may spend on such programs.
  • Former Cemetery Owner Sentenced For Defrauding Customers
    6/30/2020
    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Theodore Martin, age 57, formerly of York County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced June 30, 2020 to 13 months’ imprisonment to be followed by two years of supervised release by Chief United States District Court Judge John E. Jones III, for conspiring to commit mail fraud. The sentence represents a downward adjustment of approximately twenty-eight months to account for prison time that Martin has served for a related fraud scheme in Ohio.
  • Beckley Woman Who Faked Death to Avoid Sentencing Will Serve 42 Months in Federal Prison for Health Care Fraud
    6/30/2020
    Julie M. Wheeler, 43, of Beckley, was sentenced by Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. to 42 months in federal prison for federal health care fraud, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. After serving her prison sentence, she will be placed on supervised release for three years. She was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $289,055.07, an amount calculated by the Veterans Administration (VA) and approved by the court.
  • “Compound King” and Wife Sentenced in $21 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme; Fugitive Sought
    6/25/2020
    A Houston pharmacist and his wife were sentenced June 25, 2020, for their roles in an approximately $21.8 million Department of Labor (DOL) - Office of Workers Compensation Programs and Federal Employees Compensation Act fraud scheme.
  • Former Veterans Affairs Police Officer Sentenced To 24 Months In Prison For Criminal Civil Rights Violation And Making False Entries In A Report
    6/24/2020
    U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew on June 24, 2020, sentenced Norman Nicholson (57, Largo) to 24 months in federal prison for depriving an individual of his Fourth Amendment right to a reasonable search and seizure under color of law and one count of knowingly making false entries in a report with the intent to obstruct an investigation within the jurisdiction of a federal agency.
  • Bhaskar Patel Sentenced in Kickback and Bribery Scheme in Connection with Government Contracts
    6/22/2020
    The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Bhaskar Patel, 69, of Horseheads, New York, was sentenced June 19, 2020, in federal district court in connection with a kickback and bribery scheme conducted in connection with federal energy savings performance contracts (“ESPCs”). While employed by Schneider Electric Buildings America (“Schneider”), Patel unlawfully solicited and accepted $2,536,119.19 in bribes and kickbacks associated with ESPCs from subcontractors to Schneider. According to the Information filed in the case, the scheme ran from June 6, 2011 through April 19, 2016, involved dozens of bribes and kickbacks from eight subcontractors to Schneider, and included amounts ranging from $6,231 to $136,990.19.
  • Fayetteville Man Pleads Guilty to Obtaining VA Benefits through Fraud
    6/18/2020
    Matthew G.T. Martin, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, announced today that WILLIE DOSHER CAIN pleaded guilty to a felony count of theft of government funds related to healthcare fraud.
  • Veteran’s Affairs Respiratory Therapist Charged with Stealing COVID-19-related Medical Supplies and Selling Them on eBay
    6/17/2020
    Between January and June 2020, the defendant allegedly stole and sold ventilators, bronchoscopes, and other respiratory support equipment.
  • Owners of Groveland Companies Sentenced for Defrauding Government Contracting Programs
    6/17/2020
    Three men were sentenced June 17, 2020, in federal court in Boston for conspiracy to defraud the United States and mail fraud in connection with a scheme to obtain government contracts.
  • VA Employee Sentenced For Orchestrating $19 Million Corruption Scheme
    6/12/2020
    United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced that Joseph Prince, age 61, of Aurora, Colorado was sentenced yesterday to serve 192 months (16 years) in federal prison for health care fraud, conspiracy, payment of illegal kickbacks and gratuities, money laundering, and conflict of interest charges. Prince was also ordered to serve 3 years of supervised release and pay $18,777,134.68 in restitution to the Veteran’s Health Administration. Prince, who appeared at the sentencing hearing free on bond, was remanded at the hearing’s conclusion.
  • Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty To Assaulting A VA Police Officer
    6/12/2020
    U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Darnell Curry, 27, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder to assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal officer. The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
  • Craig M. Young sentenced to71 months in prison in $11 million Ayudando Guardians financial fraud scheme
    6/11/2020
    A federal judge in Santa Fe, New Mexico sentenced Craig M. Young, 55, of Albuquerque to 71 months in federal prison June 11, 2020, for conspiracy and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with the operation of Ayudando Guardians, Inc., a non-profit corporation based in Albuquerque that previously provided guardianship, conservatorship, and financial management to hundreds of people with special needs.
  • Medical Technology Company President Charged in Scheme to Defraud Investors and Health Care Benefit Programs in Connection with COVID-19 Testing
    6/9/2020
    The president of a California-based medical technology company was charged in a complaint unsealed today in the Northern District of California, in connection with his alleged participation in schemes to mislead investors, to manipulate the company’s stock price and to conspire to commit health care fraud in connection with the submission of over $69 million in false and fraudulent claims for allergy and COVID-19 testing.
  • Four Florida Men Charged for Their Roles in a $54 Million Compound Pharmacy Kickback Scheme
    6/5/2020
    Four Florida men were charged in an indictment unsealed June 4, 2020, for their alleged participation in a compound pharmacy kickback scheme. James Wesley Moss, 57, of Zephyrhills, Edward Christopher White, 38, of Panama City Beach, David Byron Copeland, 52, of Tallahassee, and Michael Alton Gordon, 56, of Fort Myers, were each charged in an indictment filed in the Middle District of Florida with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay or receive health care kickbacks.
  • Oklahoma Contractors to Pay $2.8 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Concerning Fraudulently Obtained Small Business Contracts
    6/2/2020
    Tulsa, Oklahoma-based contractor the Ross Group Construction Corporation (Ross Group), and its corporate affiliates, have agreed to pay over $2.8 million to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by improperly obtaining federal set-aside contracts reserved for disadvantaged small businesses, the Justice Department announced today.
  • Suspects Arraigned on Charges for Stealing $470,000 in Public Benefits by Defrauding VA, Michigan Treasury
    6/1/2020
    Two people were arraigned on charges recently for defrauding the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Michigan Department of Treasury out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by submitting fraudulent documents in support of claims for VA survivor benefits and Michigan Unclaimed Property. A third individual has been charged in connection with this fraud but has not yet been arraigned.
  • Federal Indictment For Pensacola Man Accused Of Possessing Firearms at Veterans Affairs Facility
    5/26/2020
    Today a federal grand jury has indicted a Pensacola man for the possession of firearms, including a concealed firearm, at the Department of Veterans Affairs Joint Ambulatory Care Clinic in Pensacola. The three-count indictment alleges that Pensacola resident Howell E. Camp, 58, illegally possessed a 5.56 millimeter Del-Ton Incorporated rifle and a 9 millimeter Smith & Wesson pistol at the federal facility. It is alleged that Camp possessed these firearms with the intent to commit a crime on May 6, 2020.
  • Former Chief Of Cardiology At Palo Alto VA Hospital Indicted For Sexual Battery Of Subordinate Doctor
    5/18/2020
    A federal grand jury in San Jose indicted Dr. John Giacomini for Abusive Sexual Contact, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge James K. Wahleithner of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division, and Chief of Police Martin Sizemore of the Veterans Affairs Police Service, Palo Alto Health Care Division.
  • Former Veterans Affairs Doctor Indicted on Multiple Civil Rights Charges
    5/12/2020
    A federal grand jury in Charleston, West Virginia, today returned a seven-count indictment charging Dr. Jonathan Yates, 51, with federal civil rights and abusive sexual contact offenses. Yates, a doctor of osteopathic medicine who formerly worked at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Beckley, West Virginia, is charged with five counts of depriving veterans of their civil rights under color of law, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242, and two counts of abusive sexual contact, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2244(b). He was previously charged in a criminal complaint with depriving a veteran of his civil rights under color of law.
  • Central New York Construction Companies and Others to Pay Nearly $4.5 Million to Resolve Allegations of Fraud Involving Contracting Opportunities Meant for Disabled Veterans
    5/4/2020
    Northland Associates Inc., its president James Tyler, The Diverse Construction Group LLC, and their bonding agent, Rose & Kiernan Inc., have agreed to pay the United States $4,470,000 to resolve allegations that they fraudulently exploited contracting opportunities reserved for veteran-owned small businesses and small businesses operating in historically underutilized business zones.
  • Guaranteed Rate to Pay $15 Million to Resolve Allegations It Knowingly Caused False Claims to Government Mortgage Loan Programs
    4/29/2020
    Guaranteed Rate Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $15.06 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA) by knowingly violating material program requirements when it originated and underwrote mortgages insured by the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Federal Housing Administration or guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Justice announced today. Guaranteed Rate is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with branches across the United States.
  • Surgeon Agrees to Pay $1.75 Million to Resolve Allegations that He Accepted Kickbacks from SpineFrontier
    4/24/2020
    The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today that Dr. Jeffrey R. Carlson of Newport News, Virginia, has agreed to pay $1.75 million to resolve allegations that he accepted kickbacks from SpineFrontier Inc., a Massachusetts-based medical device manufacturer.
  • VA Employee Agrees to Plead Guilty to Embezzling $70,000 Using Mobile Payment Application
    4/13/2020
    A Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) employee has agreed to plead guilty to embezzling nearly $70,000 in VA funds.
  • Georgia Man Arrested for Attempting to Defraud the Department of Veterans Affairs in a Multimillion-Dollar COVID-19 Scam
    4/10/2020
    Christopher Parris, a 39-year-old Atlanta, Georgia resident, was arrested and charged in federal court in the District of Columbia with fraud for attempting to sell millions of nonexistent respirator masks to the Department of Veterans Affairs in exchange for large upfront payments.
  • MiMedx Group Inc. Agrees to Pay $6.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations of False Commercial Pricing Disclosures
    4/6/2020
    A biopharmaceutical company based in Marietta, Georgia that manufactures and sells human tissue grafts, will pay $6.5 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting false commercial pricing disclosures to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the Justice Department announced today.
  • Former Veterans Affairs Doctor Charged with Civil Rights Offense
    4/2/2020
    A doctor of osteopathic medicine who formerly worked at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Beckley, West Virginia, has been charged in a criminal complaint with depriving a veteran of his civil rights under color of law.
  • Georgia Man Arrested for Orchestrating Scheme to Defraud Health Care Benefit Programs Related to COVID-19 and Genetic Cancer Testing
    3/30/2020
    A Georgia man will appear in court today for his alleged role in a conspiracy to defraud federally funded and private health care benefit programs by submitting fraudulent testing claims for COVID-19 and genetic cancer screenings.
  • Former Co-Owner and COO of Pharmacy Pleads Guilty in Prescription Drug Billing Scheme
    3/27/2020
    An additional defendant pled guilty in a long-running investigation into a prescription drug-billing scheme involving a Haleyville, Ala.-based pharmacy, Northside Pharmacy doing business as Global Compounding Pharmacy.
  • Former Veterans Affairs Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Criminal Civil Rights Violation and Making False Entries in a Report
    3/24/2020
    A former VA police officer pleaded guilty to one count of depriving an individual of his Fourth Amendment right to a reasonable search and seizure under the color of law and one count of knowingly making false entries in a report with the intent to obstruct an investigation within the jurisdiction of a federal agency.
  • VA Employee Found Guilty Of Corruption Charges And Defrauding VA Of Nearly $19 Million In A Year
    3/13/2020
    United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced that yesterday a jury sitting in U.S. District Court in Denver found former Veterans Affairs (VA) employee Joseph Prince, age 60, of Aurora, Colorado, guilty of felony health care fraud, conspiracy, payment of illegal kickbacks and gratuities, money laundering charges and conflict of interest. The verdict is the result of an eight-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore. Prince’s bond was continued and he was ordered to home incarceration pending his sentencing.
  • Indictment: Arizona Veteran Committed Fraud To Obtain Government Contracts
    3/12/2020
    A Marine veteran was indicted on charges she committed fraud to obtain government contracts for a business in Overland Park that sold commercial flooring and furniture.
  • Former Operator Of Minnesota VA Outpatient Clinics Agrees To Pay $1.85 Million To Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Concerning Veterans’ Wait Times
    3/12/2020
    The Justice Department announced that Sterling Medical Associates Inc. (Sterling) will pay $1.85 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that it failed to schedule veterans’ medical appointments timely at two outpatient clinics in Minnesota, resulting in the submission of false claims to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
  • “Compound King” Convicted in $21 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme
    3/11/2020
    A federal jury sitting in Houston, Texas, found a pharmacist guilty of charges related to health care fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.
  • U.S. Attorney Sues Spinal Device Company and Its Executives for Allegations that they Paid Kickbacks to Surgeons
    3/5/2020
    The U.S. Attorney’s Office has filed a civil health care fraud complaint against SpineFrontier, Inc. (SpineFrontier); Impartial Medical Experts, LLC (IME); Kingsley Chin, the founder and CEO of SpineFrontier; Aditya Humad, the CFO of SpineFrontier; Vanessa Dudley, Chin’s wife and the Business Administrator of IME; and other entities Chin owns and controls.
  • Lecanto Medical Biller Sentenced In Large Healthcare Fraud Scheme
    3/4/2020
    U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Teresa Johnson (53, Lecanto) to five years’ probation, with four months of home detention, for conspiring with a local doctor to commit health care fraud. As part of her sentence, the court also ordered Johnson to pay restitution to the defrauded federal health care programs and, entered a money judgment of more than $5,700, representing a portion of Johnson’s health care fraud proceeds.
  • Former VA Podiatry Chief Sentenced to 6.5 Years in Prison for Health Care Fraud Scheme
    3/3/2020
    Anthony Lazzarino, 69, former Chief of Podiatry for the Veterans Affairs’ Northern California Health Care System, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to six years and six months in prison for health care fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
  • Part-owner and chief financial officer of Ayudando Guardians sentenced to 20 years in prison for $11 million financial fraud scheme
    3/3/2020
    A federal judge in Santa Fe, New Mexico sentenced Sharon A. Moore, 64, of Albuquerque to 20 years in federal prison on March 2 for conspiracy and other financial crimes committed in connection with the operation of Ayudando Guardians, Inc., a non-profit corporation based in Albuquerque that previously provided guardianship, conservatorship, and financial management to hundreds of people with special needs. Meanwhile, the judge issued bench warrants for Susan K. Harris, 73, and William S. Harris, 58, of Albuquerque after they failed to appear with Moore for their scheduled sentencing hearing.
  • Former VA Podiatry Chief Sentenced to 6.5 Years in Prison for Health Care Fraud Scheme
    3/3/2020
    Anthony Lazzarino, 69, former Chief of Podiatry for the Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Northern California Health Care System, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to six years and six months in prison for health care fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
  • Former Veterans Affairs Official Sentenced To 18 Months In Federal Prison For Role In Bribery Scheme To Rig Federal Contracts
    2/26/2020
    United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced that former U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs official Dwane Nevins, age 55, was sentenced to serve 18 months in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for corruption offenses. The FBI’s Denver Field Office and the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division, Central Field Office, joined in today’s announcement.
  • Joint Audit of the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs Efforts to Achieve Electronic Health Record Interoperability
    2/24/2020
    The VA Office of Inspector General and and the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General plan to begin in February 2020 the joint audit of DoD's and VA's efforts to achieve electronic health record interoperability. The objective of the joint audit is to determine the extent to which the actions taken by VA and the DoD in acquiring and implementing a common, commercial electronic health record system and supporting architecture will achieve interoperability among the Departments and with external health care providers.
  • Raleigh County Woman Enters Guilty Plea to Health Care Fraud
    2/11/2020
    Julie M. Wheeler entered a guilty plea for federal health care fraud, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Wheeler, 43, of Beckley, faces up to 10 years of incarceration, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release when sentenced on May 20, 2020. She will also be subject to an order of restitution in an amount ranging from $302,131 to $469,983, with the final determination to be made by the Court at sentencing.
  • Attorney General James Announces Sentencing Of Man Who Stole Money Intended For Veterans
    2/6/2020
    Attorney General Letitia James announced the sentencing of Michael Erber (“Erber”), 62, of Brooklyn for stealing money intended to pay the rent of homeless New York City veterans from four Community Based Organizations.
  • Agawam Man Charged with Defrauding VA Hospitals by Failing to Inspect Medical Gas Systems
    2/5/2020
    A vendor for several Veterans Affairs medical facilities was charged yesterday in connection with a scheme to profit by billing for, but failing to perform, critical medical gas inspections at VA facilities.
  • U. S. Settles False Claims Act Allegations Against Southeastern Retina Associates
    2/4/2020
    Southeastern Retina Associates ("SERA") has paid $1.5 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
  • Michigan Woman Pleads Guilty to Defrauding U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Out of $1.7 Million in Veterans Benefits
    1/31/2020
    Claudia Ann Merrill, 61, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to defrauding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs out of more than $1.75 million in veterans benefits, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
  • VA Employee Charged with Embezzling $70,000 Using Mobile Payment Application
    1/28/2020
    A Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) employee was charged in federal court in Boston with embezzling nearly $70,000 in VA funds.
  • Wisconsin Accountant Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Obtain Over $260 Million in Small Business Contracts
    1/27/2020
    Mark F. Spindler, a certified public accountant, was found guilty of conspiring with Brian L. Ganos in a scheme to use front companies to obtain set-aside contracts intended for small businesses led by service-disabled veterans and disadvantaged individuals.
  • Florida Academy Agrees To Pay $512,000 To Resolve Misrepresentation Claims Impacting Veterans’ Post-9/11 Tuition Subsidy Program
    1/27/2020
    United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Florida Academy has agreed to pay $512,500 to the United States to resolve allegations that it made misrepresentations to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in order to maintain its eligibility to receive VA funding under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
  • Federal Jury Convicts Deltona Man Of Theft Of Government Funds
    1/22/2020
    Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that a federal jury today found Bobby Morlen (54, Deltona) guilty of two counts of theft of government funds. Morlen faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 8, 2020.
  • Matthew Courtney to Pay $700,000 to Settle False Claims Act Allegations
    1/22/2020
    United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that Matthew Courtney will pay $700,000 to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act.
  • Huntington Man Sentenced for Illegally Accessing Veterans' Records
    1/21/2020
    A Huntington man was sentenced to six months in prison for illegally accessing the medical records of six veterans, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Jeffrey Miller, 40, a former Veterans Benefits Administration employee, was also sentenced to one year of supervised release.
  • Forty-Four Additional Defendants Served and Accused of Defrauding Government and Insurance Companies by Falsifying Patient Records for Cataract Surgeries
    1/17/2020
    Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced that an additional 44 summonses have been served on current or former employees of the Kokopelli Eye Institute in the case against Dr. Michael Lee Ham, an eye surgeon with Kokopelli who was recently indicted for an alleged fraudulent billing scheme.
  • Former Vice President of Insys Therapeutics Sentenced for Racketeering Conspiracy
    1/13/2020
    The former Vice President of Managed Markets for Insys Therapeutics was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in conspiring to bribe practitioners to prescribe fentanyl-based pain medication, often when medically unnecessary.
  • Owners of Groveland Companies Charged for Defrauding Government Contracting Programs
    1/10/2020
    Three men were charged in federal court in Boston with conspiracy to defraud the United States and mail fraud in connection with a scheme to obtain government contracts.
  • Caldwell University Agrees To Pay More Than $4.8 Million To Resolve Allegations Of Violating False Claims Act
    1/3/2020
    Caldwell University has agreed to pay the United States more than $4.8 million to resolve allegations that it engaged in a fraudulent scheme to defraud a federal education benefit program, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.