Whistleblower Insider Blog

West Virginia Business Owner Sentenced for COVID Relief Fund Fraud

It appears there is a new name on the list of COVID relief fraudsters—Mark William Bailey, a business owner who evidently couldn’t resist misusing taxpayer-funded pandemic relief for personal luxuries, according to the DOJ this week. After misappropriating approximately $451,237.51 in COVID-19 relief funds guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic...

Michigan Pharmacy Owner Sentenced to Prison for $6.9 Million Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Scheme

Yesterday the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Michigan announced that a licensed pharmacist from Dearborn Heights, Michigan, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for her role in a $6.9 million scheme that defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan by submitting false claims for medications that were never actually dispensed, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office...

Fourth Constantine Cannon Law School Scholarship Essay Contest On The Importance Of Whistleblowers

The Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team is pleased to announce the launch of its Fourth Law School Scholarship Essay Contest on the Importance of Whistleblowers. This is an opportunity for law school students—the future leaders of the Bar—to share their thoughts on what it means to be a whistleblower and the critical role they play in serving the public good. We are especially interested in your own personal...

The DOJ Goes After Penn State For Cybersecurity Violations

Yesterday (October 22), the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that The Pennsylvania State University will pay $1.25 million to settle charges it violated the False Claims Act by failing to comply with the cybersecurity requirements under multiple Department of Defense (DoD) and NASA contracts. It is just the latest in a string of False Claims Act cases against universities and other federal contractors failing to...

New FinCEN Alert on Hizballah: A Call for Financial Institutions and Whistleblowers

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an alert to financial institutions across the country, urging them to enhance efforts in identifying and reporting suspicious activity linked to Hizballah. This alert comes as part of a broader campaign by the Treasury Department to combat terrorist financing and protect the U.S. financial system from being exploited by terror...

Raytheon to Pay Over $950 Million to Resolve Criminal Fraud and Civil FCA Violations

Raytheon Company (Raytheon), a subsidiary of RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies Corporation), has agreed to pay over $950 million to settle civil and criminal cases stemming from multiple federal investigations, including $428 million to settle claims brought by a whistleblower under the False Claims Act (FCA). The government alleged that Raytheon violated the FCA by engaging in fraudulent pricing on defense...

Houston Pharmacy Owner Convicted in $160 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

A Houston, Texas man, Mohamad Mokbel (59-years old), was convicted on Tuesday for orchestrating a complex scheme that defrauded the Medicare system of over $160 million by billing for unnecessary medications, the DOJ reported. A federal jury found Mokbel guilty on all 15 charges, including healthcare fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, bribery, and conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, after a swift 10-day...

Teva Pharmaceuticals Agrees to $450M False Claims Act Settlement for Kickback Allegations and Price Fixing

Last week the DOJ announced that Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. (Teva USA) and Teva Neuroscience Inc. have agreed to pay $450 million to resolve allegations that they violated the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and the False Claims Act (FCA). The settlement addresses two distinct schemes related to illegal payments and price fixing, representing one of the largest settlements of its kind. This is a step forward...

TD Bank Pays Record-Setting $3.1 Billion For Money Laundering And Bank Secrecy Act Violations

Last Thursday (October 10), the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that TD Bank pleaded guilty and agreed to pay roughly $1.8 billion in penalties to resolve DOJ charges of money laundering and other violations of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). This is on top of the roughly $1.3 billion the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) assessed TD Bank for the same violations.

The $3.1 billion...

San Diego Holistic Physician and Medical Practice Agree to Pay $3.8 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

At first glance, The Center for Health & Wellbeing seemed like a sanctuary for those seeking alternative treatments beyond conventional medicine. Patients sought a holistic approach to their wellness and received IV infusions, hormone therapies, and acupuncture all under the care of licensed physicians, nurse practitioners, naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, acupuncturists,  mental health professionals, and more.

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