Feb 13, 2023 | False Claims Act
On February 7, 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) published its annual False Claims Act (FCA) statistics covering FY2022 recoveries (ending September 30, 2022). And although the data shows a drop-off from 2021 in some key areas, it would be misleading to describe...
Feb 7, 2023 | Criminal Matters, Government Investigations
On February 3, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the conviction of Sixto Jorge Díaz Colón, of San Juan, for extortion and obstruction of justice related to his involvement in “a scheme to obtain money in exchange for preventing the release of chat messages...
Feb 7, 2023 | White Collar Crime
Individuals and businesses doing business with or submitting claims to the U.S. Government may face False Claims Act (“FCA”) culpability for several reasons – including keeping overpayments, or as in a recent case, retaining PPP loan funds. 31 U.S.C. 3729(a)(1)(G). ...
Jan 31, 2023 | Civil Matters, Criminal Matters
On January 30, the Department of Justice announced Katie R. Crews, former Louisville, Kentucky police officer, was sentenced to two years of probation, two hundred hours of community service and a $5,000 fine for using excessive force. Crews was blamed for instigating...
Jan 31, 2023 | Health Care Fraud, White Collar Crime
The DOJ announced that 25 defendants have been charged with selling fake nursing degrees and transcripts from three accredited Florida-based nursing schools. All defendants face up to 20 years in prison after being charged with varying counts of conspiracy to commit...
Jan 31, 2023 | White Collar Crime
Sherry Joseph was sentenced to 45 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for her role in a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) scheme. Joseph, of New York, was indicted for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in September...
Jan 31, 2023 | False Claims Act
Philip Esformes (Esformes) is a former Florida nursing home mogul who was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in 2020 after being found guilty of healthcare fraud. In the last days of his presidency, former president Donald Trump commuted Esformes’ prison sentence....
Jan 31, 2023 | Government Investigations, Health Care Fraud
Mark Sorensen was found guilty, by a federal jury, of one count of conspiracy and three counts of payment of illegal kickbacks. Sorensen, along with 52 additional individuals, was indicted in September 2019 as part of a Midwest health care fraud enforcement action....
Jan 26, 2023 | Government Contract, Government Investigations
In a post published a couple weeks ago, we discussed the strides made by Georgia to legalize and facilitate the sale and use of medical cannabis in the state. One of the final steps to that end was the adoption of regulations that had been proposed by the Georgia...
Jan 24, 2023 | False Claims Act
On January 20, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that DePuy Synthes, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, agreed to pay $9.75 million to settle allegations it, through former sales representatives, improperly paid kickbacks to a surgeon in...
