Whistleblower News From The Inside -- August 17, 2017

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team

Navy Commander pleads guilty to conspiring to defraud Navy — CDR Bobby Pitts has admitted that he conspired to protect Leonard Glenn Francis (“Fat Leonard”). In 2015, Francis pleaded guilty to a decade-long fraud scheme that involved bribing officials with cash, prostitutes, luxury travel, Cuban cigars, Kobe beef, and Spanish suckling pigs. Pitts admitted to leaking documents about the investigation to Francis and working with Francis to cover up the fraud. Pitts is the 18th guilty plea related to the scandal. USAO Southern District of California

New Jersey cardiologist settles FCA suit for $476k — Apostolos Voudouris admitted to fraudulently billing the VA for hundreds of procedures he did not actually perform. Voudouris has also pleaded guilty to one count of criminal healthcare fraud, and is required to pay another $238k in restitution. USAO New Jersey

Bronx pastor settles FCA suit for $330k — Torrence Robinson has settled allegations that he received and kept 14 years-worth of his deceased father’s Social Security benefits. The benefit payments continued to be deposited into an account that Robinson shared with his father while his father was alive. Hudson Valley News Network