Blog

In a whistleblower lawsuit, the U.S. alleges that a leading company in drug making and distribution defrauded government healthcare systems by engaging in a nationwide illegal drug-switching scheme. The whistleblower lawsuit became public this week in a Chicago federal court. Twenty states and the District of Columbia have joined the lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act.

Read more at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2011-09-06/mylan-units-implicated-in-u-s-lawuit-against-par-alleging-drug-switching.html

Miami Police Chief Miguel Exposito, who may face a possible firing in the days to come, sent a letter to city manager Johnny Martinez demanding whistleblower protection against retaliation. According to Exposito, the Mayor Regalado has been unfairly targeting him since December 2010, when Exposito sent a letter to federal authorities claiming Regalado interfered with a police raid on video gaming machines. A decade ago, Exposito famously prevailed in a whistleblower suit against the city when he linked his demotion to a complaint he made that the police department was keeping files on elected officials.

Read more at: http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/Exposito-Files-For-Whisltblower-Protection-Report-129182903.html

According to a news release from the FBI, eighteen medical professionals have been charged for committing Medicare fraud in Detroit. Their schemes involved a total of more than $28 million in fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary services and/or services that were never even provided by the individuals.

Read more at: http://www.beckersasc.com/stark-act-and-fraud-abuse-issues/18-medical-professionals-charged-with-medicare-fraud-schemes-in-detroit.html

The Health Authority Law Enforcement Task Force, which is made up of local, state and federal agencies, raided and shut down four San Fernando Valley clinics on Thursday, September 1, 2011. The clinics, upon investigation, were found to be engaging in Medicare fraud and serving as “prescription mills” from which fake prescriptions for the powerful pain killer OxyContin were issued. The raid resulted in three arrests as well as the seizure of computers, financial documents and patient records.

Read more at: http://www.dailybreeze.com/latestnews/ci_18813221

D.C. federal judge Richard Roberts recently ruled that the federal government could continue with its suit against First Choice Armor & Equipment, the bulletproof vest manufacturer that allegedly sold defective vests to state and local law enforcement agencies, under the False Claims Act. Judge Roberts held that, “[t]he government’s claim that First Choice knew the vests could not stand up to an industry standard that they ‘remain fit for use as body armor’ for five years is a valid claim under the False Claims Act.”

Read more at: http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/09/02/39525.htm