Whistleblower News From The Inside -- July 13, 2017

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team

U.S. House passes bill to lengthen time to report medical device malfunctions – The U.S. House passed a fee-reauthorization bill for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday that would triple the amount of time—from 30 to 90 days—medical device companies have to report malfunctions of certain higher-risk products, and would allow companies to summarize previously reported product malfunctions, rather than filing detailed reports on each case. The bill is now up for Senate consideration. Star Tribune

Miami doctor pleads guilty to Medicare fraud – Miami physician Dr. Roberto Fernandez pled guilty to his role in a nearly $5M scheme in which Fernandez referred Medicare beneficiaries to pharmacies in exchange for kickbacks, and prescribed drugs (including opioids) that were not medically necessary. Sentencing will occur on a later date. DOJ

Former NY sandwich shop owner sentenced to prison for fraud – A U.S. district court judge sentenced Christopher Swartz, the former owner of a northern New York chain of sub shops, to 12 years in prison for swindling investors out of millions of dollars. Prosecutors accused Swartz of defrauding 81 people in the U.S. and 70 in the United Kingdom; he was ordered him to repay victims $21M. US News