Archive

August 31, 2020

A whistleblower was awarded over $1.25 million by the SEC for promptly and expeditiously providing significant information that enabled the agency to initiate an enforcement action and recover millions of dollars for harmed investors. The whistleblower's identity, and the nature of the underlying enforcement action, was not disclosed. SEC

Tagged in: Anonymity, Financial and Investment Fraud, SEC Whistleblower Reward Program, Whistleblower Rewards,

August 24, 2020

Following a whistleblower suit by a former sales representative, DUSA Pharmaceuticals (DUSA), a Massachusetts-based subsidiary of Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries Inc. (Sun Pharma), has agreed to pay $20.75 million to resolve allegations of defrauding Medicare and the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program. According to relator Aaron Chung, senior management at DUSA and Sun Pharma allegedly encouraged doctors, via paid speaker programs and discussions, to use shorter incubation periods of 1-3 hours for Levulan Kerastick, a topical prescription medication for treating actinic keratosis (AK) of the face and scalp that had FDA-approved instructions for 14-18 hour incubation periods. As expected, the significantly reduced incubation periods resulted in significantly reduced AK clearance rates, yet DUSA failed to inform doctors of the lower rates and even actively misinformed them that AK clearance rates were the same regardless of incubation period. For exposing the fraudulent conduct, Chung will receive approximately $3.5 million of the settlement proceeds. DOJ; USAO WDWA

Tagged in: FCA Federal, Healthcare Fraud, Medicare, Other Government Health Programs, Pharma Fraud, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,

July 30, 2020

Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), now known as DXC Technology, and New York City have agreed to pay approximately $2.8 million to resolve allegations of violating the federal and New York State False Claims Acts in connection with New York City’s Early Intervention Program (EIP), which provides speech and physical therapy services for infants and toddlers with possible developmental disabilities. According to a qui tam lawsuit, while retained by the City to process and submit its EIP claims to various insurers, CSC allegedly received permission from the City to categorize claims submitted to private insurers as “denied” if no response was received within 90 days. CSC then resubmitted those claims to Medicaid using an improper code, causing Medicaid to make payments it would not have otherwise. For revealing the misconduct, the unnamed whistleblower in this case will receive $416,250. AG NY; USAO SDNY

Tagged in: FCA Federal, FCA State, Healthcare Fraud, Medicaid, Medical Billing Fraud, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,

July 28, 2020

A pharmaceutical company accused of paying illegal inducements to physicians has agreed to pay $3.5 million to resolve allegations of violating the False Claims Act. In order to induce physicians to prescribe its newly-launched local analgesic, EXPAREL, Pacira Pharmaceuticals Inc. allegedly paid doctors kickbacks that were half-heartedly disguised as grant money for research. In order to receive the so-called research grant, Pacira required EXPAREL to be placed on formulary at the physician’s institution, but did not document why such research was needed or follow up on research results. The fraud was eventually exposed by a pharmacist in a qui tam suit; the pharmacist will receive $638,000 as part of the settlement. USAO NJ; AG FL

Tagged in: Anti-Kickback and Stark, FCA Federal, Healthcare Fraud, Pharma Fraud, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,

July 27, 2020

The CFTC has awarded approximately $9 million—one of the largest awards ever in the history of its whistleblower program—to an unnamed whistleblower. Because of the whistleblower’s timely tip, the CFTC was able to open an investigation that led to a successful enforcement action. CFTC

Tagged in: CFTC Whistleblower Reward Program, Fraud in CFTC-Regulated Markets, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,

July 22, 2020

Auto parts distributor CWD Holdings LLC, which does business as Centric Parts, will pay $8 million to resolve claims in False Claims Act cases brought by two whistleblowers, Steven Hughes and Jeffrey Hawk. The government alleged that over the course of ten years the defendant imported brake pads, falsely identifying them as unmounted brake pads, which are not subject to any tariff, when they were, in fact, mounted brake pads, which are subject to a 2.5% tariff. Defendant thereby knowingly evaded millions of dollars in customs duties. The whistleblowers will share a $1.48 million whistleblower award. USAO ED MI; USAO CD CA

Tagged in: Customs Fraud, FCA Federal, Government Programs Fraud, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,

July 21, 2020

Two unidentified whistleblowers will share a whistleblower reward totaling $1 million. While the underlying enforcement action is not identified, the CFTC disclosed that information from the first whistleblower caused it to open an investigation, and information from the second whistleblower, who participated in the underlying scheme, significantly contributed to the investigation. CFTC

Tagged in: CFTC Whistleblower Reward Program, Financial and Investment Fraud, Fraud in CFTC-Regulated Markets, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,

July 20, 2020

Drug testing laboratory Sterling Healthcare Opco, LLC, doing business as Cordant Health Solutions will pay $12 million to resolve allegations in a False Claims Act case brought by a whistleblower that it paid unlawful kickbacks to Northwest Physicians Laboratories, LLC and Genesis Marketing Group in exchange for referrals of urine drug tests paid for by federal healthcare programs and performed at Cordant labs in Tacoma (Regional Toxicology Services LLC d/b/a Sterling Reference Laboratory) and Denver (Rocky Mountain Tox LLC d/b/a Forensic Laboratories). The whistleblower will receive 20% of the settlement, or approximately $2.4 million. USAO WD WA

Tagged in: Anti-Kickback and Stark, FCA Federal, Healthcare Fraud, Laboratory and IDTF, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,

July 14, 2020

A whistleblower has been awarded $3.8 million after providing the SEC with information that helped stop an ongoing fraud and helped return millions of dollars to investors. The SEC did not disclose specific details of the fraud in their press release. SEC

Tagged in: Anonymity, SEC Whistleblower Reward Program, Securities Fraud, Whistleblower Rewards,

July 13, 2020

Longwood Management Company and 27 affiliated skilled nursing facilities have agreed to pay $16.7 million to resolve allegations raised by whistleblowers Judy Boyce, Benjamin Monsod, and Keith Pennetti in two separate qui tam filings, that six Longwood facilities knowingly submitted false claims to Medicare. Between 2018 to 2012, Longwood allegedly pressured its rehabilitation therapists to increase the amount of therapy provided to Medicare Part A patients, regardless of medical necessity, so it could claim Ultra High levels of service, which are reimbursed at the highest rate. As part of the settlement, Longwood will enter into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement, and Boyce, Monsod, and Pennetti will share a $3 million award. DOJ; USDC CDCA

Tagged in: FCA Federal, Healthcare Fraud, Lack of Medical Necessity, Medical Billing Fraud, Medicare, SNF, Upcoding, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,

Contact

Click here for a confidential contact or call: