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Los Angeles Jury Convicts Two Church Pastors and Their Employee of $14.2 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

After a two-week trial in federal court in Los Angeles, a jury found Christopher Iruke, 60; his wife, Connie Ikpoh, 49; and Aura Marroquin, 30, guilty of multiple charges.



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Four Individuals Convicted in $4.7 Million Louisiana Medicare Fraud Scheme

The owner of a Baton Rouge, La., durable medical equipment (DME) company, a medical doctor and two patient recruiters were each convicted late yesterday for their roles in a $4.7 million Medicare fraud scheme.



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Miami-Area Medical Equipment Company Owners Sentenced to Prison for Medicare Fraud Scheme

Obel Martinez, 39, and Damaris Gil, 30, previously pleaded guilty on May 24, 2010, before U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks in Miami to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.



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Owner of Miami-Area Mental Health Care Corporation Convicted on All Counts for Orchestrating $205 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

After a six-day trial, a jury in the Southern District of Florida found Judith Negron, 40, guilty of 24 felony counts, including conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering and structuring to avoid reporting requirements.



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Miami-Area Doctor Pleads Guilty in $25 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Jose Nunez, 63, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard in Miami to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.



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Former “Most Wanted” Health Care Fraud Fugitives Plead Guilty to $9.1 Million Detroit Medicare Fraud Scheme

Caridad Guilarte, 54, and Clara Guilarte, 57, each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.



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Detroit-Area Clinic Owner Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Medicare Fraud Schemes Totaling More Than $15 Million

Jose Rosario, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gerald E. Rosen in the Eastern District of Michigan.



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Detroit Occupational Therapist Pleads Guilty to Medicare Fraud Scheme

Carol Gant pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Michigan to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.



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Miami-Area Nurse Pleads Guilty in $25 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Miami-area resident Farah Maria Perez, a registered nurse, pleaded guilty today for her participation in a $25 million Medicare fraud scheme involving false billings for home health services.



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California Medical Billing Company Agrees to Pay U.S. $4.6 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Claims to Federal Health Care Programs

Janzen, Johnston &s Medicaid program.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Health Care Fraud Takedown Press Conference

"We are pleased to announce the results of a nationwide takedown, by Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in eight cities, that has resulted in charges against 91 defendants for their alleged participation in Medicare fraud schemes involving nearly $300 million in false billings," said Attorney General Holder.




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Assistant Attorney General Breuer Speaks at the Health Care Fraud Takedown Press Conference

"The indictments announced today serve as a powerful reminder that Medicare fraud is a nationwide problem," said Assistant Attorney General Breuer.




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Arizona-Based TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp. Agrees to Pay $10 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Concerning the TRICARE Program

TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corporation, a contractor to TRICARE Management Activity, has agreed to pay $10 million to resolve civil false claims allegations.



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Maxim Healthcare Services Charged with Fraud, Agrees to Pay Approximately $150 Million, Enact Reforms After False Billings Revealed as Common Practice

Maxim Healthcare Services Inc., one of the nation’s leading providers of home healthcare services, has entered into a settlement to resolve criminal and civil charges relating to a nationwide scheme to defraud Medicaid programs and the Veterans Affairs program of more than $61 million.



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Owner of Miami-Area Mental Health Company Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Orchestrating $205 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Miami resident Lawrence Duran, the owner of a mental health care company, American Therapeutic Corporation (ATC), was sentenced today to 50 years in prison for orchestrating a $205 million Medicare fraud scheme.



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Former President of Fraudulent Florida Physical Therapy Company Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Medicare Fraud Scheme

The former president and administrator of a fraudulent physical therapy company in Lakeland, Fla., was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare.



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Ten Miami-Area Residents Plead Guilty in $25 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Ten Miami-area residents pleaded guilty today and yesterday in U.S. District Court in Miami for their participation in a $25 million home health Medicare fraud scheme.



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Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer Speaks at the American Health Lawyers Association and Health Care Compliance Association’s 2011 Fraud and Compliance Forum

"In the Criminal Division, and throughout the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, we devote substantial resources to investigating and prosecuting fraud of all kinds – investment fraud, bank fraud, mortgage fraud, procurement fraud, and, of course, fraud in the health care industry," Assistant Attorney General Breuer.




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Two Miami-Area Residents Plead Guilty in $25 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Maritza Vidal, 44, and Richard Diaz, 26, each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against California Healthcare Provider Alleging Discrimination

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against Generations Healthcare, a healthcare provider with skilled nursing facilities throughout California, alleging that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination by imposing unnecessary documentary requirements on naturalized U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens in order to work in the U.S.



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Detroit-Area Clinic Owner Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Role in $9.1 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Martin Tasis was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for his leading role in a $9.1 million Detroit-area Medicare fraud scheme.



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Owner of Houston Health Care Company Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Medicare Fraud

The owner and operator of a Houston durable medical equipment (DME) company was sentenced yesterday in Houston federal court to 33 months in prison for his role in a Medicare fraud scheme.



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Department of Justice/Federal Trade Commission Issue Final Statement of Antitrust Policy Enforcement Regarding Accountable Care Organizations

The Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission today issued the final version of a joint policy statement detailing how the agencies will enforce U.S. antitrust laws with respect to new Accountable Care Organizations.



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Owner of Houston Health Care Company Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison in Connection with $1.3 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Ekpedeme Obot, 35, of Houston, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal in Houston.



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Brooklyn, N.Y., Medicare Fraud Strike Force Charges 12 Individuals for Participating in Health Care Fraud Schemes Totaling More Than $95 Million

Twelve individuals, including three medical doctors, a doctor of osteopathy and a chiropractor, were charged today in the Eastern District of New York for their roles in separate health care fraud schemes that resulted in the submission of more than $95 million in false claims to the Medicare program.



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Detroit-Area Man Arrested in Connection with $30 Million Medicare Home Health Scheme

Zafar Mehmood, 45, allegedly masterminded a $30 million scheme involving the submission of fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare for services that were medically unnecessary and/or never provided through at least four home health agencies.



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Miami-Area Patient Recruiter Pleads Guilty in $25 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Beatriz Torres-Cruz, 50, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard in Miami to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of solicitation of health care kickbacks.



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Houston Patient Recruiter Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Medicare Fraud Scheme Involving Claims of Hurricane Damage to Power Wheelchairs

Marion Beverly Metoyer, 57, of Dayton, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gray Miller in the Southern District of Texas. Metoyer was convicted by a jury on May 26, 2011, of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, three counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to receive health care kickbacks and two counts of receiving kickbacks.



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United States Files Complaint Against BestCare Laboratory Services Alleging False Claims for Medicare Funds

The United States filed a complaint against BestCare Laboratories, Inc. and its founder and principal, Karim A. Maghareh, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.



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Detroit-Area Foot Doctor Pleads Guilty to Medicare Fraud Scheme

Errol Sherman pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gerald E. Rosen in the Eastern District of Michigan to one count of health care fraud. At sentencing, Sherman faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.



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Owner of Houston Health Care Company Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Medicare

Akinsunbo Akinbile, 44, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison in Houston to eight counts of health care fraud.



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Patient Recruiter Pleads Guilty in Connection with $5.4 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme in Detroit

Santiago Villa-Restrepo, 33, of Miami, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Tarnow in the Eastern District of Michigan to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.



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Detroit-Area Occupational Therapy Assistant Pleads Guilty to Participating in Medicare Fraud Scheme

Vanessa Dowell, 50, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge Avern Cohn in the Eastern District of Michigan to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.



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Detroit-Area Clinic Owner Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Role in $9.1 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Joaquin Tasis was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for his role in a $9.1 million Detroit-area Medicare fraud scheme, announced the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).



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Doctor and Two Nurses Sentenced to Prison for Roles in $25 Million Miami Health Care Fraud Scheme

Jose Nunez, 63, Luisa Morciego, 40, and Eneida Fry, 46, were sentenced yesterday in Miami federal court for their participation in a $25 million home health Medicare fraud scheme, announced the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).



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Owners of Houston Health Care Company Sentenced to Prison for Medicare Fraud

U.S. District Judge David Hittner in the Southern District of Texas sentenced Kemmie Houston to 63 months in prison and Sharon Beal to 51 months in prison.



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Detroit-Area Clinic Owner Pleads Guilty in Connection with Medicare Fraud Scheme

Dora Binimelis, 53, of Miami, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Tarnow in the Eastern District of Michigan to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. At sentencing, Binimelis faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.



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Operator of Detroit School and Day Care Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

Robert G. Murdock, 64, of Southfield, Mich., pleaded guilty today to tax evasion.



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Owner of Miami-Area Mental Health Company Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Orchestrating $205 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Judith Negron, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James Lawrence King in the Southern District of Florida. Judge King ordered Negron to pay more than $87 million in restitution, jointly and severally with her co-defendants.



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Owners of Houston Mental Health Company and Assisted Living Facility Indicted for Alleged Roles in $90 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Mansour Sanjar, 78, Cyrus Sajadi, 64, and Chandra Nunn, 33, all of Houston, were arrested today in Houston and are expected to make their initial appearances in federal court today and tomorrow.



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Three Patient Recruiters for Miami Home Health Companies Sentenced to Prison in $25 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard in Miami sentenced Oscar Martinez, 54, to 18 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered Martinez to pay $390,000 in restitution. Judge Lenard sentenced Lesder Casanova, 40, to 12 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered Casanova to pay $195,000 in restitution.



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Patient Recruiter Pleads Guilty in Health Care Fraud Conspiracy

Ollie Futrell, 56, of Garland, Texas, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle in the Northern District of Texas to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.



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Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Alleging Employment Discrimination by Florida Home Health Care Company

The Justice Department filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit yesterday against Home Care Giver Services Inc., a Florida corporation that provides home health aides, certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses and registered nurses to customers who seek home-based care givers.



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Nurse, Administrator and Two Recruiters for Miami Home Health Companies Sentenced to Prison in $25 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Two patient recruiters, a nurse and an administrator for two Miami home health care companies were sentenced today for their participation in a $25 million home health Medicare fraud scheme, announced the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).



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Three Operators of Miami Home Health Company Plead Guilty in $60 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Roberto Gonzalez, 61, Olga Gonzalez, 57, and their son, Fabian Gonzalez, 39, each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro in the Southern District of Florida to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.



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GE Healthcare Inc. Pays U.S. $30 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

GE Healthcare Inc. has paid the United States $30 million, plus interest, to settle allegations that a company it acquired in 2004, Amersham Health Inc., had violated the False Claims Act by causing Medicare to overpay for Myoview, a radiopharmaceutical used in certain cardiac diagnostic imaging procedures, the Justice Department announced.



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US Files Complaint Against National Chain of Hospice Providers Alleging False Claims on the Medicare Program

The United States has intervened and filed a complaint in a whistleblower suit against AseraCare Hospice, the Justice Department announced today.



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Office Manager for Miami Home Health Company Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Role in $25 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Two of her co-defendants were also sentenced to prison today for their roles in the fraud scheme.



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Los Angeles Church Pastor Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison for $14.2 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

The pastor of a now defunct Los Angeles church who owned and operated several fraudulent durable medical equipment (DME) supply companies was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for his role in a $14.2 million Medicare fraud scheme, the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced.



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Los Angeles Woman Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Her Role in a $6.2 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Carolyn Ann Vasquez, 47, was also ordered to pay $6.2 million in restitution by U.S. District Judge Consuelo B. Marshall of the Central District of California.



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