NextCare Inc., an Arizona-based company, has agreed to pay $10 million to settle federal and state allegations that it submitted false claims, the Justice Department announced today. NextCare is an owner of a chain of urgent care facilities with locations in Arizona, Colorado, Texas, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia.

Serena Joslin, 31, a Licensed Psychological Associate, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga in Miami to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

Nabeel Shaikh, 30, of Wixom, Mich., pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud before U.S. District Judge Gerald E. Rosen of the Eastern District of Michigan.

Ernst Pierre, a Port St. Lucie, Fla., tax preparer, was sentenced today to 51 months in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) announced. Pierre was charged with a scheme to file false federal income tax returns using stolen identity information. Pierre was also ordered to pay over $266,000 in restitution to the IRS.

Eddye L. Lovely, a tax return preparer from Tomball, Texas, was sentenced today to 57 months in federal prison.

Miami-area resident Emilio Haber, 53, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patrick Duggan in the Eastern District of Michigan in Detroit.

Clifford Ubani, 54, and Princewill Njoku, 53, the former co-owners of Family Healthcare Services, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller in the Southern District of Texas in Houston.

U.S. Attorney’s offices across the nation are partnering with the Civil Rights Division to target their enforcement efforts on a critical area for individuals with disabilities through a new Barrier-Free Health Care Initiative, the Justice Department announced today. The announcement comes on the 22nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was passed on July 26, 1990. Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez announced the new initiative today at an event celebrating the anniversary of the ADA in Washington, D.C.

James E. Moss and Avada L. Jenkins were both sentenced yesterday to 160 months and 41 months in prison respectively for their involvement in a fraudulent tax return perpetration scheme, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. U.S. District Judge Mark E. Fuller of the Middle District of Alabama also ordered Moss and Jenkins to pay over $120,000 in restitution, jointly and severally, to the IRS.

"This rulemaking presents an important opportunity to close a gap in our financial regulations that makes it easier for criminals to move illicit proceeds through the United States financial system," said Assistant Attorney General Breuer.

A Detroit-area adult day care center owner pleaded guilty today for her role in a $10 million psychotherapy fraud scheme, announced the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS) and the FBI.

Following a jury trial that began on Aug. 1, 2012, a federal jury convicted Enyinnaya Udo on all 25 counts of an indictment charging him with aiding and assisting in the preparation of false individual income tax returns, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.

The Justice Department announced that it has asked a federal court in Chicago to bar Bruce E. Grant and his business, Quick Check Limited, from preparing tax returns. The civil injunction suit alleges that Grant falsifies customers’ income on their tax returns, frequently by fabricating business income and expenses, in order to claim the maximum earned income tax credit (EITC) for them.

The United States has joined a whistleblower action pending in the Northern District of California against the federally-qualified health center (FQHC), North East Medical Services (NEMS), alleging that the center under-reported income it received from a managed care organization in order to artificially inflate reimbursements it received from the California Medicaid program, the Justice Department announced today. North East serves the San Francisco Bay area.

Yumeitrius Manuel, a resident of Montgomery, Ala., was sentenced today in the Middle District of Alabama to 81 months in federal prison for filing false tax returns using stolen identities, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.

A federal court in Miami has permanently barred Sharon Angulo and Claudia Zuloaga, both of Miami, from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The injunction order was signed by Judge Joan A. Lenard of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

James W. Carell, CareAll Management LLC (formerly known as Diversified Health Management Inc.), CareAll Inc., the James W. Carell Family Trust, VIP Home Nursing and Rehabilitation Services LLC, Professional Home Health Care LLC, University Home Health, LLC and Elizabeth Vining (as representative of the Estate of Robert Vining) have agreed to pay $9.375 million to the federal government. This payment is to resolve the lawsuit that the United States filed in 2009 alleging that they violated the False Claims Act, caused Medicare to pay out money through mistake of fact, and were unjustly enriched by falsely concealing the home health agencies’ relationship with their management company, the Justice Department announced today.

Jean-Luc Veraguas, 51, of Plantation, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Frederico A. Moreno in the Southern District of Florida.

Rodolfo Nieto Jr., 40, of Miami, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga in the Southern District of Florida to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to receive health care kickbacks.

A federal court in Kansas City, Kan., has permanently barred Ahferom Goitom from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The civil injunction order, to which Goitom consented without admitting the allegations against him, was signed by Judge John W. Lungstrum of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. The case is one of five similar lawsuits (the others were filed in Indianapolis; Las Vegas; Chicago; and Dayton, Ohio) to shut down four of the largest Instant Tax Service franchise owners, as well as the Dayton-based corporate franchisor of the Instant Tax Service brand—ITS Financial LLC.

Cedyco Corporation, headquartered in Houston, was sentenced today in federal court in the Eastern District of Louisiana.

A tax return preparer from Macon, Ga., pleaded guilty Thursday to filing a false claim for tax refund, theft of government money and aggravated identity theft.

Bobby Ramnarine, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks in the Southern District of Florida.

Henry Lamont Jones, 37, of Prairieville, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James J. Brady of the Middle District of Louisiana.

Gregory Lawrence, 54, of Detroit, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge Victoria A. Roberts in the Eastern District of Michigan to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

A 16-count indictment was unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas against John Raffle, the former senior vice president of strategic business units of ArthroCare and David Applegate, the former senior vice president in charge of ArthroCare’s spine division.

Eight individuals and a Miami-based corporation were convicted by a federal jury for their participation in a Medicare fraud scheme involving the submission of more than $50 million in fraudulent billings to Medicare.

Jawad Ahmad, 42, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Gerald E. Rosen in Detroit to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

The United States has intervened and filed a complaint against the private, for-profit chain of schools, ATI Enterprises Inc. based in North Richland, Texas, the Justice Department announced today. ATI Enterprises, Inc., which does business as ATI Technical Training Center, ATI Career Training Center and ATI Career Training, operates career college campuses in Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

The Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, and the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, today entered into a settlement agreement with the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) that requires ADE and Arizona public schools to offer targeted reading and writing intervention services to tens of thousands of English Language Learner (ELL) students who were prematurely exited or incorrectly identified as Initially Fluent English Proficient (IFEP) over the past five school years. The agreement also requires ADE to develop proficiency criteria that accurately identify and exit ELL students.

Eduardo Arellano-Felix, 55, one of the alleged members of the Arellano-Felix Organization (AFO), was extradited today by the government of Mexico to the United States to face racketeering, money laundering and narcotics trafficking charges in the Southern District of California.

The government has intervened in a whistleblower lawsuit against Hospice of the Comforter Inc. (HOTCI) alleging false Medicare billings, the Justice Department announced today. HOTCI provides hospice services to patients residing in the vicinity of Orlando, Fla.

The Justice Department announced today that it has sued two Dallas tax return preparers, seeking to bar them from preparing federal tax returns for others.

Karen T. Rayburn, 47, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge James J. Brady of the Middle District of Louisiana.

Four individuals were charged in court documents unsealed today in the Eastern District of Michigan for their participation in a Medicare fraud scheme involving home health services.

"Together, we can create atmospheres of tolerance, climates of trust, environments both virtual and real where people young and old can feel welcome to be who they truly are," said Assistant Attorney General Perez.

David James Garrison, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Consuelo B. Marshall in the Central District of California.

Five individuals were charged in court documents unsealed today in the Eastern District of Michigan for their participation in a Medicare fraud scheme involving purported home health and psychotherapy services.

According to a criminal complaint unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Detroit, Dr. Hicham Elhorr, 45, masterminded a $40 million scheme involving the submission of fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare for services that were medically unnecessary and/or never provided through House Calls Physicians (HCP), a physician home visiting service he owned and operated.

BP Products North America, Inc. will pay a $210,000 penalty and implement an enhanced oil spill response program at its oil terminals nationwide, as well as a comprehensive compliance audit to resolve alleged violations of oil spill response regulations at its Curtis Bay Terminal in Maryland.

Miami-area residents Dr. Mark Willner and Dr. Alberto Ayala, former medical directors at the mental health care company American Therapeutic Corporation (ATC), were each sentenced today to 10 years in prison for participating in a $205 million Medicare fraud scheme.

Federal and tribal officials joined together in Tulsa, Okla., today in commemorating October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month at opening ceremonies before the department’s annual tribal consultation on Violence Against Native Women, held this year in Tulsa.

Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in seven cities have led to charges against 91 individuals – including doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals – for their alleged participation in Medicare fraud schemes involving approximately $429.2 million in false billing.

"We have made it one of our missions at the Department of Justice to hold accountable those who abuse the Medicare program for personal profit. And there are Medicare fraudsters in prisons across the country – some who will be there for decades – who can attest to our determination and our effectiveness," said Assistant Attorney General Breuer.

"Over the last 24 hours, Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in seven different cities have conducted one of the largest health care fraud takedowns on record. Through a series of coordinated, nationwide law enforcement actions, charges have been brought against 91 individuals – including doctors, nurses, and other licensed medical professionals – for their alleged participation in fraud schemes involving nearly $430 million in false billings," said Attorney General Holder.

A Los Angeles medical equipment supplier, who submitted almost $1 million in false claims to Medicare for expensive, high-end power wheelchairs, was sentenced today to serve 30 months in prison.

"Put simply, these comprehensive efforts represent an historic, government-wide commitment to eradicating mortgage fraud and related offenses across the country," said Attorney General Holder.

The former owners of a durable medical equipment (DME) wholesale company located in Ontario, Calif., were arrested late yesterday at Los Angeles International Airport in connection with a DME fraud scheme that resulted in the submission of over $16.6 million in false claims to Medicare and are expected to appear this afternoon in Los Angeles federal court.

Miami-area resident Vanja Abreu (Ph.D), former program director at the mental health care company American Therapeutic Corporation (ATC), was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for participating in a $205 million Medicare fraud scheme.

In one of the first False Claims Act settlements involving Medicare’s Prescription Drug Program, known as Part D, RxAmerica LLC. has entered into a civil settlement agreement with the United States in which it has agreed to pay the government $5.25 million to resolve allegations that it made false submissions to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Justice Department announced today. RxAmerica, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CVS Caremark Corporation, provides prescription drug benefits to Medicare beneficiaries pursuant to a prescription drug plan.