Whistleblower Insider Blog

Clermont Labs Settle for $2.45M Over False Claims Act Violations 

Last week, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida announced a $2.45 million settlement with three Clermont-based laboratories: Vista Clinical Diagnostics, LLC; Access Dermpath, Inc.; and Advanced Clinical Laboratories, Inc. The settlement resolves allegations that the labs submitted manipulated diagnosis codes to Medicare and Medicaid, violating the False Claims Act.  For nearly 5 years, the...

In Their Own Words.... Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco 

“Our message to whistleblowers is clear: The Department of Justice wants to hear from you. And to those considering a voluntary self-disclosure, our message is equally clear: Knock on our door before we knock on yours.” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco from the Washington Post article on the soon-to-be-launched DOJ white-collar crime whistleblower rewards program.  Stay tuned!

Paxful Inc. Co-Founder Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy Charges Over Anti-Money Laundering Failures 

Artur Schaback, the co-founder, and former Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Paxful Inc., pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy charges related to his failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering (AML) program. There are significant efforts being made to regulate virtual currency platforms and ensure compliance with the financial laws.  The conspiracy consists of consciously failing to establish,...

Former Executives Sentenced for $1B Corporate Fraud Scheme  

Last week, three former executives of Outcome Health, a Chicago-based health technology start-up, were sentenced for a massive fraud scheme in which they deceived clients, lenders, and investors, resulting in approximately $1 billion in fraudulently obtained funds.   Rishi Shah, 38, co-founder and former CEO of Outcome Health, received a sentence of seven years and six months in prison. Shradha Agarwal, 38,...

Opioid Exploitation: Doctor and Staff Charged with Conspiracy and Fraud

VNS Health: $1M Settlement for Failing To Provide Services to Hospice Patients

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced a substantial settlement with Visiting Nurse Service of New York (formerly VNSNY, now VNS Health) and its related entities. This settlement addresses allegations of fraudulent billing practices that undermined the Medicaid program meant to support some of the most vulnerable patients like those in hospice.  VNS Health is one of the largest...

193 Defendants Charged in $2.75 Billion Healthcare Fraud Schemes

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced criminal charges against 193 defendants, including 76 doctors, nurse practitioners, and other licensed medical professionals across 32 federal districts in the United States. These charges relate to various healthcare fraud schemes, resulting in approximately $2.75 billion in intended losses and $1.6 billion in actual losses.   The massive enforcement...

DOJ CATCH OF THE WEEK — Sikorsky/Derco Aerospace

This Department of Justice (DOJ) Catch of the Week goes to Lockheed Martin subsidiaries Sikorsky Support Services and Derco Aerospace. On June 21, DOJ announced the two defense contractors agreed to pay $70 million to resolve charges they violated the False Claims Act by overcharging the Navy for spare parts and materials for the primary aircraft used to train naval aviators.  According to the government, Sikorsky...

Five Constantine Cannon Partners Gain National Recognition

Earlier this week, five of Constantine Cannon’s whistleblower attorneys were honored for their exemplary work: Gordon Schnell, Alysia Solow, and Daniel Vitelli have been named to the 2024 New York Metro Super Lawyers list, while Marlene Koury and Taline Sahakian have been recognized in Lawdragon's 2024 list of 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers.  The Super Lawyers list acknowledges the top 5% of outstanding...

WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Pleads Guilty in Exchange for Release

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, celebrated by some as a heroic whistleblower and promoter of transparency and freedom of the press, and reviled by others as a reckless leaker of classified information, has pleaded guilty in exchange for his release. Assange's long and tumultuous legal battle with the United States took a dramatic turn yesterday. Assange, 52, pleaded guilty and admitted to conspiring with...