Criminal Proceedings

April 15, 2019

Munich-based UniCredit Bank AG (UCB AG) and affiliated entities have agreed to pay more than $1.3 billion to resolve criminal charges and related allegations of unlawful conduct by the Department of Justice, Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the Federal Reserve, the New York Department of Financial Services, and the New York County District Attorney's Office. As part of the settlement, UniCredit admitted that between 2002 and 2011 it processed financial transactions worth hundreds of millions of dollars through U.S. financial institutions on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines and other entities subject to sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).  DOJ; Treasury; Fed; DANY

April 9, 2019

A number of telemedicine and durable medical equipment companies, the principals of those companies, and three healthcare providers, were charged with submitting over $1.7 billion in false claims in a scheme to pay unlawful kickbacks and bribes from DME companies in exchange for the referral of Medicare beneficiaries by medical professionals working with fraudulent telemedicine companies for medically unnecessary DME including back, shoulder, wrist and knee braces.  DOJ; USAO MD FL; USAO NJ; USAO SC.

April 9, 2019

London-based Standard Chartered Bank has agreed to pay $1.1 billion to resolve criminal charges and related allegations of unlawful conduct by the Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the Federal Reserve, the New York Department of Financial Services, the New York County District Attorney's Office, and the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority. As part of the settlement, Standard Chartered admitted that it processed thousands of financial transactions worth hundreds of millions of dollars through U.S. financial institutions for the benefit of Iranian and other entities and individuals subject to sanctions. In addition, Standard Chartered admitted that it had deficiencies in its compliance programs and had falsified the records of New York financial institutions.  In addition to the financial penalties, Standard Chartered agreed to the extension of an existing deferred prosecution agreement through 2021, and committed to undertaking specified compliance initiatives.  DOJ; Treasury; Fed; DANY; UK

April 9, 2019

Antonio Carlos de Godoy Buzaneli of Florida was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in a scheme that raised approximately $150 million from investors for his company Providence Holdings International, Inc., which Buzaneli represented would invest in the factoring of accounts receivable in Brazil. In fact, much of the investors’ funds were used to make Ponzi-style payments to other investors, and to make commission payments to Providence’s nationwide network of brokers. USAO Minn

April 5, 2019

Philip Esformes of Miami Beach, Florida, was found guilty of crimes arising from his role in the submission of over $1.3 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid.  According to evidence introduced at trial, between 1998 and 2016, Esformes, who owned a network of assisted living and skilled nursing facilities, bribed physicians to admit patients into his facilities, which were in poor condition and unable to provide adequate treatment. Patients often failed to receive appropriate medical services, or received medically unnecessary services.  Esformes was later sentenced to 20 years in prison. USAO SD FL

April 4, 2019

Kenneth C. Coleman of Houston, Texas, who owned Acacia Pharma Distributors, Inc. and Four Corners Suppliers, Inc., has been sentenced to 30 years in prison following his conviction at trial for money laundering, tax evasion, and related charges.  Coleman and his companies purchased second-hand prescription medications from various illegitimate sources and sold them to a third party, Green Valley Medical Distributors, LLC, which then sold the medications to pharmacies as if they were brand new.  In arranging the sales, Coleman created fraudulent documents that misrepresented the sources of the medications and their prior sales.  After being paid by Green Valley, Coleman and others would pay the suppliers of the drugs, often in cash, and failed to report income or file corporate income taxes.  Coleman was also ordered to forfeit $20.3 million and pay $717,000 in restitution to the IRS.  DOJ

April 4, 2019

Evelyn Mokwuah, a former administrator for Houston, Texas-based Beechwood Home Health and Criseven Health Management Corporation, was sentenced to ten years in prison for her role in the submission of approximately $20 million in false claims to Medicare.  According to the evidence at trial,  Mokwuah falsely certified and billed for patients who were not homebound or did not qualify for home health services; falsified patient records to show that patients were homebound when they were not; paid patient recruiters; and, paid doctors to certify false plans of care for Medicare beneficiaries.  DOJ

April 2, 2019

Paul Emordi, of Collin County, Texas, was sentenced to prison for 60 months for his part in a $3.7 million health care scheme involving Medicare. Emordi and Celestine “Tony” Okwilagwe, owners and operators of Elder Care, along with Adetutu Etti, the administrator of Elder Care, were convicted on counts of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and on counts of false statements in connection with a health care benefit program. Evidence in the investigation also shows that the defendants submitted fake and fraudulent bills to Medicare for providing services that were not necessary. DOJ; Texas

March 15, 2019

Long Island chiropractor Raymond R. Pellegrino pleaded guilty to charges arising from his fraudulent billing of private insurance companies.   Pellegrino falsely billed Anthem Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield over $2 million for services claimed to have been provided by doctors employed by him, when knew those services had not, in fact, been provided.  USAO EDNY