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DOJ Enforcement Actions

					
The Department of Justice is the principal federal agency authorized to enforce the laws and defend the interests of the United States. As such, it oversees the enforcement of the False Claims Act, the foundation of the American whistleblower system, as well as numerous other laws.


The agency traces its origins to the Judiciary Act of 1789 which created the Office of the Attorney General, and the 1870 Act to Establish the Department of Justice, which established the agency as “an executive department of the government of the United States” with the Attorney General as its head.


The agency is comprised of numerous divisions with the Civil Division and in some instances, the Criminal Division, overseeing investigations and prosecutions under the False Claims Act. The U.S. Attorneys Office of the federal district where the False Claims Act case is filed also plays a key role in False Claims Act enforcement.


Below are summaries of recent DOJ settlements or successful resolutions under the False Claims Act as well as other successful prosecutions for fraud and misconduct. If you believe you have information about fraud which could give  rise to a claim for a whistleblower reward, please contact us to speak with one of our experienced whistleblower attorneys.

				

			

			
						
					
			

	
		
		

			

				
				
February 25, 2015

				 A federal jury in Detroit convicted Michigan patient recruiter Reginald Smith and Michigan physical therapist Rajan Patel for their roles in a $1.6M Medicare fraud scheme.  According to the evidence, Smith worked as a patient recruiter for Angle’s Touch Home Health Care LLC where he solicited patients for foot care services at adult foster care homes and then referred them to Angle’s Touch for medically unnecessary home health care services in exchange for kickbacks.  The kickbacks were disguised as payments to Smith’s nonprofit Medicare provider People Helping People of Detroit.  Patel worked as a physical therapist at Angle’s Touch where he fabricated patient medical records to make it appear that the recruited patients qualified for and received the home health care services, when they did not.  DOJ				 					 

						
Tagged in:
													  Home Health and Hospice, 
													  Medical Billing Fraud, 
												
						

					
	
							
	
		
		
	


 			




	
		
		

			

				
				
February 25, 2015

				 Texas-based mortgage finance company MetLife Home Loans LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MetLife Inc., agreed to pay $123.5M to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act by originating and underwriting (through MetLife Bank) mortgage loans insured by the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Federal Housing Administration (FHA) that did not meet applicable FHA requirements.  Whistleblower Insider				 					 

						
Tagged in:
													  FCA Federal, 
													  Housing and Mortgage Fraud, 
												
						

					
	
							
	
		
		
	


 			




	
		
		

			

				
				
February 25, 2015

				 Motor Vehicle lender Santander Consumer USA Inc. agreed to pay at least $9.35M to resolve allegations it violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) from its improper repossessions of 1,112 motor vehicles between January 2008 and February 2013.  According to the government, Santander completed 760 repossessions without required court orders of motor vehicles owned by SCRA-protected service members.  It is the largest settlement for illegal automobile repossessions ever obtained by the US under the SCRA.  DOJ				 			
	
		
		
	


 			




	
		
		

			

				
				
February 24, 2015

				 Acadiana Cardiology LLC, Acadiana Cardiovascular Center and convicted doctor Mehmood Patel agreed to pay $650,000 to settle charges they violated the False Claims Act through unnecessary cardiovascular, endovascular and related procedures that Patel performed at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Lafayette General Medical Center, Acadiana Cardiology and Acadiana Cardiovascular Center.  The allegations originated in a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act by Dr. Christopher Mallavarapu, a cardiologist who formerly practiced with Patel.  DOJ				 					 

						
Tagged in:
													  FCA Federal, 
													  Hospital Fraud, 
													  Lack of Medical Necessity, 
													  Provider Fraud, 
													  Whistleblower Case, 
													  Whistleblower Rewards, 
												
						

					
	
							
	
		
		
	


 			




	
		
		

			

				
				
February 24, 2015

				 Louisiana oncologist Prabhjit S. Purewal agreed to pay $550,000 to settle allegations he defrauded Medicare, Tricare and Medicaid in violation of the False Claims Act by billing for chemotherapy drugs not approved by the FDA.  Dr. Purewal purchased the drugs from UK-based drug distributor Warwick Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (also known as Richard’s Pharma), which did not have a license to distribute drugs in the US.  DOJ				 					 

						
Tagged in:
													  FCA Federal, 
													  Off-Label and Unapproved Use, 
													  Other Government Health Programs, 
													  Pharma Fraud, 
													  Provider Fraud, 
												
						

					
	
							
	
		
		
	


 			




	
		
		

			

				
				
February 24, 2015

				 Angel M. Mirabal, owner of Houston-based medical equipment supplier Quick Solutions Medical Supplies Inc., pleaded guilty to a $5M scheme to defraud Medicare.  Mirabel admitted he and his co-conspirators operated Quick Solutions for the purpose of billing Medicare for medical equipment not medically necessary or not provided.  DOJ				 					 

						
Tagged in:
													  Healthcare Fraud, 
													  Lack of Medical Necessity, 
													  Medical Billing Fraud, 
													  Medical Devices and DME, 
												
						

					
	
							
	
		
		
	


 			




	
		
		

			

				
				
February 23, 2015

				 Two South Florida medical doctors and their wives, Dr. Alan and Lynn Buhler and Dr. Craig and Cynthia Prokos agreed to pay $1M and $90,000, respectively, to settle allegations they violated the False Claims Act when their wives accepted sham marketer salaries in exchange for their husbands’ referrals to a home health care company called A Plus Home Health Care Inc.  The US previously settled with A Plus and its owner Tracy Nemerofsky and five other couples that allegedly accepted payments from A Plus.  DOJ				 					 

						
Tagged in:
													  Anti-Kickback and Stark, 
													  FCA Federal, 
													  Home Health and Hospice, 
												
						

					
	
							
	
		
		
	


 			




	
		
		

			

				
				
February 20, 2015

				 George H. Lee, president and CEO of Kuwaiti-based American Logistics Services, pleaded guilty to paying a $15,000 bribe to an Army National Guard officer in exchange for the award of a contract to provide buses to the US Army in Iraq.  DOJ				 					 

						
Tagged in:
													  Bribery and Bid-Rigging, 
													  Defense Contract Fraud, 
												
						

					
	
							
	
		
		
	


 			




	
		
		

			

				
				
February 19, 2015

				 Eastern District New York Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis ruled in favor of the DOJ in its lawsuit claiming American Express’ “swipe fee” rules for merchants violate the antitrust laws.  DOJ				 			
	
		
		
	


 			




	
		
		

			

				
				
February 18, 2015

				 Hospice services provider Compassionate Care Hospice Group agreed to pay $6.7M to settle charges it violated the federal and New York False Claims Acts by submitting claims to Medicare and Medicaid for hospice nursing services not actually or adequately provided.  Specifically, the government alleged CCH nurses routinely missed their required visits and then falsified nursing notes in patients’ files to make it appear as though the visits had been performed.  The charges originated in a whistleblower lawsuit filed by a former employee under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act.  Whistleblower Insider, NY				 					 

						
Tagged in:
													  FCA Federal, 
													  FCA State, 
													  Home Health and Hospice, 
													  Lack of Medical Necessity, 
													  Medical Billing Fraud, 
													  Whistleblower Case, 
													  Whistleblower Rewards, 
												
						

					
	
							
	
		
		
	


 			


											

						

								

									
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