June 13, 2013
SEC Fraud
Once again, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) whistleblower program has proven to be a vital tool in the fight against securities fraud. After receiving a critical whistleblower tip concerning securities fraud within a Maryland-based proxy adviser firm, the SEC was able to quickly move forward with administrative proceedings. A […]
June 12, 2013
SEC Fraud
Two of three defendants have opted to settle in a securities fraud action that allegedly defrauded investors of approximately $2.7 million. In 2012, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged a father, son and daughter team with the orchestration of a wide-reaching securities fraud scheme centered on a bogus $11 […]
June 11, 2013
Healthcare Fraud
The United States government recently joined a qui tam action filed against the New York City Department of Education (DOE). According to the allegations, the city’s DOE fraudulently billed Medicaid for multiple sessions of psychological counseling that were never provided to students. The DOE can submit monthly counseling claims for special needs students who […]
June 10, 2013
SEC Fraud
Both the government and whistleblowers alike have historically relied on the False Claims Act as a primary tool to end to fraud. It is important to understand, however, that the False Claims Act does have limitations. The largest one being that it only applies to instances in which the United […]
June 6, 2013
SEC Fraud
On April 26, 2013, following a litany of charges brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), a Massachusetts man was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison by United States District Judge Denise J. Casper. Arnett L. Waters, a former investment advisor and principal broker-dealer, plead guilty to seven […]
June 3, 2013
Military Contractor Fraud
The United States Department of Justice announced that a telecommunications provider has agreed to settle a False Claims Act lawsuit, resolving allegations that it submitted false and fraudulent documentation to the government. Lucent Technologies World Services Inc. (LTWSI), a subsidiary of Alcatel-Lucent, will pay $4.2 million to the government as […]
May 30, 2013
False Claims Act Legal News
For the first time, the guidelines for evaluating state false claims acts have been updated. The Office of the Inspector General for Health and Human Services (OIG) recently released an updated set of state False Claims Acts guidelines, providing details as to how the laws will now be evaluated by […]
May 29, 2013
Mortgage Fraud
After a lengthy legal battle, a panel of 12 jury members in Mississippi federal court found State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. (State Farm) guilty of violating the False Claims Act. State Farm, the country’s largest insurer of homes, faced allegations that it defrauded the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) […]
May 28, 2013
Military Contractor Fraud
Taking another step toward ending the widespread problem of defense contractor fraud, the United States government has joined a False Claims Act lawsuit against a New York-based biotech company. Agave BioSystems, founded in 1998, is accused of fraudulently billing the United States Department of Defense (DOD) for an estimated $15 […]
May 27, 2013
Healthcare Fraud
A Texas-based dialysis clinic recently agreed to a $7.3 million settlement with the United States government, resolving allegations of Medicare fraud contained in a False Claims Act lawsuit. U.S. Renal Care, who acquired Dialysis Corporation of America (DCA) in June 2010, is accused of knowingly overbilling Medicare for Epogen, a […]
May 24, 2013
Healthcare Fraud
Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of one whistleblower, along with a thorough investigation conducted by the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (“HEAT”), another pharmaceutical manufacturer agreed to settle a False Claims Act lawsuit. According to the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”), Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. will […]
May 23, 2013
Healthcare Fraud
A home healthcare operation providing service to patients in rural Alabama recently settled a whistleblower lawsuit, agreeing to pay the United States government $150,000 to resolve claims that it violated the federal False Claims Act. Techota, LLC, whose headquarters is located in Nashville, Tennessee, provides home healthcare services in Alabama […]