Whistleblower Case Archives - Page 99 of 111

April 9, 2015

Virginia-based cardiovascular testing disease laboratory Health Diagnostics Laboratory Inc. agreed to pay $47 million to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks to physicians in exchange for patient referrals and billing federal health care programs for medically unnecessary testing. A second cardio testing lab, California-based Singulex Inc., agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle similar charges. The allegations first arose in a whistleblower lawsuit filed by Dr. Michael Mayes, Scarlett Lutz, Kayla Webster and Chris Reidel under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. The whistleblower award they will receive has yet to be determined. Whistleblower Insider

Tagged in: Anti-Kickback and Stark, FCA Federal, Laboratory and IDTF, Lack of Medical Necessity, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,

April 8, 2015

Orlando-based Air Ideal Inc. and its majority owner, Kim Amkraut, agreed to pay $250,000 to resolve allegations they made false statements to the Small Business Administration to improperly obtain certification as a Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) company. They must also pay five percent of Air Ideal’s gross revenues over the next five years. Specifically, the government alleged Air Ideal used its fraudulently-procured HUBZone certification to obtain contracts from the US Coast Guard, US Army, US Army Corps of Engineers and the US Department of the Interior. The allegations first arose in a whistleblower complaint filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act by Patricia Hopson. She will receive a whistleblower award of $42,500. DOJ

Tagged in: Defense Contract Fraud, FCA Federal, Government Procurement Fraud, Set-Asides and Preferences, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,

March 19, 2015

Bank of New York Mellon agreed to pay $714 million to settle charges the bank engaged in fraud and other misconduct when providing foreign exchange (“FX”) services to its customers. As part of the settlements with the US and New York, BNYM admitted that contrary to representations to clients that it provided “best rates” and “best execution” for FX transactions, the Bank actually gave clients the worst reported interbank rates of the trading day. The charges originated in a lawsuit brought by a whistleblower under the New York False Claims Act. Whistleblower Insider

Tagged in: FCA State, Financial Institution Fraud, Foreign Exchange, Misrepresentations, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,

March 12, 2015

Miami-based lender Hencorp Becstone Capital L.C. agreed to pay $3.8 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that it made false statements and claims to the Export-Import Bank of the United States in order to obtain loan guarantees. According to the government, Ricardo Maza, a Peruvian-based former Hencorp business agent, created false documentation to obtain Ex-Im Bank guarantees on fictitious transactions on which no products were sold or exported, and that Maza then diverted the proceeds of the loans to himself and to his friends and business associates in Peru. The allegations arose in a whistleblower lawsuit filed by Genaro Benites Caballero, the former owner of one of the purported purchasers, and Patricia Doris Lee Dominguez, a former attorney for the purported purchaser, under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. They will receive a whistleblower award of $608,000. DOJ

Tagged in: FCA Federal, Financial and Investment Fraud, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,

March 9, 2015

Florida home health care companies Recovery Home Care Inc., Recovery Home Care Services Inc. and National Home Care Holdings LLC have agreed to pay $1.1 million to resolve allegations that Recovery Home Care violated the False Claims Act by improperly paying doctors for referrals of home health care services provided to Medicare patients. According to the government, the physicians were over-compensated for any actual work they performed and, in reality, they were paid to induce them to refer their patients to Recovery Home Care in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law. The allegations originated in a whistleblower lawsuit filed by former Recovery Home Care employee Gregory Simony under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Simony will receive a whistleblower award of $198,000. DOJ

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

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 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,

February 12, 2015

Three importers agreed to pay more than $3M to resolve allegations they violated the False Claims Act by lying to US Customs and Border Protection agents to evade customs duties on imports of aluminum extrusions from China. The companies, which included California-based C.R. Laurence Co. Inc., Florida-based Southeastern Aluminum Products Inc.and Texas-based Waterfall Group LLC, sell shower doors and shower enclosures made with the aluminum extrusions. The charges were first raised in a whistleblower lawsuit brought by James F. Valenti Jr. under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. He will receive a whistleblower award of $555,000. DOJ

Tagged in: Customs Fraud, FCA Federal, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,

February 11, 2015

Delaware-based pharmaceutical manufacturer AstraZeneca LP agreed to pay $7.9M to settle charges it violated the False Claims Act by engaging in an illegal kickback scheme with pharmacy benefit manager Medco Health Solutions. The government alleged, among other things, that AstraZeneca agreed to provide remuneration to Medco in exchange for Medco maintaining for AstraZeneca’s Nexium drug “sole and exclusive” status on certain Medco formularies and through other marketing activities. The charges originated with a whistleblower lawsuit filed by former AstraZeneca employees Paul DiMattia and F. Folger Tuggle under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. They will collectively receive a whistleblower award of $1,422,000. Whistleblower Insider

Tagged in: Anti-Kickback and Stark, FCA Federal, Pharma Fraud, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,

February 6, 2015

Oklahoma-based Hospice care provider Good Shepherd Hospice Inc.agreed to pay $4M to resolve allegations it submitted false claims for hospice patients who were not terminally ill. Specifically, the government contended Good Shepherd pressured staff to meet admissions and census targets and paid bonuses to staff, including hospice marketers, admissions nurses and executive directors, based on the number of patients enrolled even if they were not eligible for hospice care. The settlement resolves allegations first raised by former Good Shepherd employees Kathi Cordingley and Tracy Jones in a whistleblower lawsuit they filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. They will receive a whistleblower award of approximately $680,000. DOJ

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

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