Top 10 Whistleblower Awards for 2025 - False Claims Act Whistleblowers Dominate the List

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team As we reported in our post on the Department of Justice (DOJ) annual False Claims Act roundup, 2025 was a record year for False Claims Act recoveries, with DOJ bringing in $6.9 billion under the statute last year.  The majority of that amount -- more than $5.3 billion -- came from actions originated by whistleblowers under the qui tam provisions of the statute. What Type of...

Former NFL Player Turned Lab Owner Convicted in $328 Million Genetic Testing Fraud Scheme

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team  In February, a federal jury in Texas convicted lab owner Keith J. Gray, a former NFL player, for his role in a $328 million genetic testing fraud scheme involving two clinical labs he owned and operated: Axis Professional Labs LLC (Axis) and Kingdom Health Laboratory LLC (Kingdom).[1] The jury found Gray guilty of (1) conspiracy to defraud the United States and to solicit or receive...

Top 10 Healthcare-Related False Claims Act Recoveries in 2025

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team Last year was a record year for False Claims Act recoveries.  As the Department of Justice (DOJ) reported in its 2025 False Claims Act Roundup, the $6.9 billion the Government recovered in 2025 was the most for any single year under the statute. Unsurprisingly, more than 80% of this amount (or $5.7 billion) came from matters involving healthcare-related fraud.  It has been that way...

Top 10 False Claims Act Recoveries in 2025

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team As we reported last month in our post on the Department of Justice (DOJ) 2025 False Claims Act roundup, last year was another record year for False Claims Act recoveries.  In fact, the $6.9 billion the Government recovered in 2025 is the largest single-year haul ever under the statute.  As usual, the majority of that amount -- more than $5.3 billion -- came from...

Florida Nursing Assistant Convicted in $11.4M Medicare Fraud Scheme

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team On January 22, a federal jury convicted Florida-based nursing assistant and durable medical equipment (DME) supplier owner Christian “Chris” Cruz for his role in an $11.4 million healthcare fraud and wire fraud conspiracy.[1] What Was the Alleged Scheme? According to prosecutors, Cruz  submitted false claims for hundreds of Medicare beneficiaries and they were sent thousands of medically unnecessary orthotic braces. Cruz allegedly received several hundred...

Two Plead Guilty to $68M Brooklyn Adult Day Care and Home Healthcare Fraud Scheme

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team On January 15, Elaine Antao and Manal Wasef pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud Medicaid by offering kickbacks for services not rendered at two Brooklyn social adult day cares and a home healthcare company. The proceedings took place before United States District Judge Natasha C. Merle in federal court in Brooklyn. Each defendant faces up to 10 years in prison. According to court documents, Antao...

Traditions Health Pays $34M to Settle False Claims Act Charges of Medically Unnecessary Home Health Services

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team Last Thursday (January 22), the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Tennessee-based Traditions Health agreed to pay $34 million to settle allegations it violated the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law by billing Medicare for medically unnecessary home health services and paying kickbacks to physicians in exchange for referrals.[1]  Traditions provides home healthcare services to patients in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and...

Florida Ophthalmology Practices Agree to Pay Nearly $6M in Whistleblower Case Involving Transcranial Doppler Ultrasounds

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team Five Florida ophthalmology practices, Clay Eye Holdings LLC, Retina Macula Specialists of Miami LLC, Florida Eye Institute P.A., Miami Eye LLC, and Kendall Eye Institute Inc., agreed to pay roughly $6 million to settle allegations that they submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid in violation of the False Claims Act. [1] According to the government, the five practices knowingly billed Medicare and Medicaid for...

Healthcare Employees Sentenced to Prison for Multimillion Dollar Adult Daycare Fraud Scheme

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team A Texas physician and a clinic employee have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a multimillion dollar healthcare fraud and kickback scheme involving unnecessary lab tests and prescriptions. Dr. Osama Nahas, owner and physician at Crosspoint Medical Clinic, and medical assistant Isabel Pruneda were convicted on March 1, 2024 by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, healthcare fraud, and conspiracy...

South Carolina Lab Pleads Guilty and Will Pay At Least $6.8M to Resolve Kickback Allegations Involving Doctors

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team Clinical laboratory LTD Holding LLC (previously Labtech Diagnostics LLC) based in Anderson, South Carolina, and its founder and CEO Joseph Labash, agreed to pay roughly $6.8 million to settle False Claims Act allegations that they paid illegal kickbacks to doctors from August 2018 to November 2021. This settlement brings the DOJ’s total civil False Claims Act recoveries related to Labtech to more than $11.5 million,...