Sep 29, 2022 | False Claims Act, Government Investigations, Health Care Fraud
On September 26, 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that pharmaceutical giant Biogen, Inc. agreed to pay $900 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by paying prescribing physicians kickbacks in exchange for prescribing...
Sep 19, 2022 | False Claims Act
The False Claims Act (“FCA”) continues to be a significant tool for the government to ensure compliance with companies that contract with the United States. The FCA prohibits any person from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, a false or fraudulent...
Sep 19, 2022 | White Collar Crime
The revocation of Medicare billing privileges can significantly affect providers and often results in a snowball effect, where the revoked provider is scrutinized by private employers and privilege-granting institutions. Revoked providers can lose facility...
Sep 19, 2022 | State Bar of Georgia Investigations
On September 7, 2022, the Georgia Supreme Court denied attorney Andrew Matteson’s petition for a voluntary six-month suspension after admitting he mishandled several client matters. Matteson acknowledged he violated various Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct, but...
Sep 19, 2022 | White Collar Crime
On Thursday, September 8, 2022, U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones sentenced a former City of Atlanta executive to 14 years in prison and ordered her to pay $2.9 million in restitution. Mitzi Bickers, 56, was the director of Atlanta’s human services department from...
Sep 19, 2022 | federal investigations
Tax return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams, and the government continues in its efforts to eradicate it as such. On September 7, 2022, Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert advised “taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain...
Sep 7, 2022 | False Claims Act
The Eleventh Circuit agreed with a Florida district court’s ruling that an employee needs “at least an objectively reasonable belief” that they engaged in protected conduct to recover for retaliation under the False Claims Act (FCA), and the FCA does not cover general...
Sep 7, 2022 | federal investigations
On September 2, 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the conviction of Mark Schena of California. Mr. Schena was the president of Arrayit Corporation, a Silicon Valley-based medical technology company. According to the press release, Mr. Schena claimed to...
Sep 7, 2022 | Health Care Fraud
On September 2, the Department of Justice announced, “Bayer Corporation, an Indiana corporation and manufacturer of pharmaceutical products, and its related entities, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc., Bayer HealthCare LLC and Bayer AG (collectively “Bayer”), have...
Sep 5, 2022 | Government Investigations, White Collar Crime
On September 5, 2022, United States District Judge Aileen Cannon, of the Southern District of Florida, issued an Order granting in part former president Donald Trump’s “Motion for Judicial Oversight and Additional Relief.” In that motion, President Trump asked that...
