Whistleblower News from the Inside — July 1, 2015

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team

SEC Announces Cherry-Picking Charges Against Investment Manager – The Securities and Exchange Commission announced fraud charges against a Wisconsin-based investment advisory firm and its owner accused of improperly allocating to his personal and business accounts certain options trades that appreciated in value during the course of a trading day while allocating to his clients other trades that depreciated in value.  SEC

 U.S. Seeks $3.3 Billion From Novartis in Drug Kickback Suit – In a False Claims Act case filed by a whistleblower and joined by the United State and 11 states, the government is seeking as much as $3.3 billion from Novartis AG in a suit claiming the company paid kickbacks to increase sales of two prescription drugs.  Bloomberg

 Community Health to pay $20 million in fraudulent billing settlement – Community Health Network will pay more than $20 million in a settlement stemming from allegations that the health care provider had been presenting fraudulent surgery bills to the government for years.  Indianapolis Star

 Former University of Pittsburgh Medical Center supervisor arraigned on fraud charges – A former UPMC claims supervisor charged with generating $184,000 in false billings was arraigned Tuesday in U.S. District Court and allowed to remain free on a $25,000 bond pending trial for fraud.  Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 Ridgeland, Mississippi woman to pay 3 million in Medicaid fraud – A Ridgeland woman has been ordered to pay more than $3 million in restitution and penalties after she pleaded guilty to three counts of Medicaid fraud for reportedly acting as a medical director for a hospice care company and certifying patients for hospice while only being qualified to be a physician’s assistant.  Clarion-Ledger