Whistleblower News From The Inside — June 2, 2016

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team

Nashville drug testing lab and physician settle FCA case for $9.35M – A federal investigation of a whistleblower complaint against a Tennessee drug testing laboratory and physician yielded a settlement under which the company and its former owner and CEO Jonathan Oppenheimer will pay more than $9.3M to settle allegations Oppenheimer traded patient referrals for free computer software in violation of the Stark law and Anti-Kickback statute. USAO Middle District of Tennessee

Whistleblower brings suit against Oracle — Former senior finance manager Svetlana Blackburn sued Oracle, alleging she was terminated after complaining about improper accounting practices at the software giant; Blackburn claims she was asked to add millions in baseless accruals for “expected” business. Fortune

Medical device manufacturer settles FCA case for $585K – The settlement resolves allegations that Paradigm Spine caused false claims by instructing providers to falsely code claims for procedures involving the company’s devices; Paradigm Spine sales representative Chris Coyle will receive $105K for initially blowing the whistle. USAO District of Maryland

New Jersey hospital settles FCA case for $450K – St. Michael’s Medical Center of Newark, New Jersey agreed to settle allegations it billed Medicaid and Medicare for medically unnecessary cardiac procedures performed between 2009 and 2015. USAO District of New Jersey

DOJ names permanent Foreign Corruption Unit Chief – Daniel Kahn, formerly of the DOJ’s bribery unit, will lead the criminal FCPA unit, which in the past year has increased its staff with ten additional new hires. Wall Street Journal

Baltimore PD whistleblower receives settlement – Officer Joseph Crystal, who blew the whistle on fellow officers’ misconduct and shortly thereafter found a dead rat on his windshield, settled his lawsuit against the city for allegedly failing to protect him from retaliatory behavior; he will receive $42K. Baltimore Sun