Whistleblower News From The Inside -- March 1, 2018

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team

Healthcare fraudster sentenced to 20 years in prison — Rafael Arias, the owner of several Miami-area home health agencies, was sentenced in connection to a scheme where he paid kickbacks to patient recruiters who would refer patients to his agencies. The agencies also submitted claims for services for which patients did not qualify, and for services never provided. In addition to the prison time, Arias has been ordered to pay $66M in restitution. USAO Southern District of Florida

Detroit Medical Center under investigation over kickbacks — The US Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Michigan is investigating the hospital for violations of the Stark law and the Anti-Kickback statute. The investigation arises over reports that 14 layoffs of practice providers are tied to those providers violating federal law. Modern Healthcare

Louisiana woman convicted of stealing $300k in Social Security funds — Pamela Thompson continued to receive her mother’s social security funds for over 8 years after her mother’s death. Thompson has been sentenced to three years of probation and restitution of roughly $300k. USAO Eastern District of Louisiana