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Monday 30 June 2025
S.C. Cases Among Hundreds Announced in National Health Care Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Two South Carolina cases are among hundreds of criminal charges against defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud American health care systems. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, the largest DOJ health care fraud takedown in history.
“Health care fraud steals from the American taxpayer and harms the systems meant to serve those in need,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “The cases in South Carolina, like those nationwide, demonstrate our unwavering commitment to protecting vulnerable citizens, especially our veterans, and ensuring the integrity of programs designed to care for them.”
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
The charges announced today are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in alleged false billings and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets, and the Government, in connection with the takedown, seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets.
The following individuals were charged in the District of South Carolina:
- Tina Marie Armstrong, 67, of Florence, South Carolina, was charged by superseding indictment with health care fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid for durable medical equipment that was no longer in service, never delivered, or that had not been authorized by a physician. As alleged in the superseding indictment, Armstrong, through her company Safe at Home Medical Equipment and Supplies, LLC, submitted $198,981.55 in false and fraudulent claims, of which $104,577.74 were paid. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Holliday of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.
- Dee Alice Moton, 51, of Hephzibah, Georgia, was charged by indictment with health care fraud in connection with a scheme where Moton billed the Veterans Administration for services not rendered to veterans in the amount of $2,373,147.22 over a two-year period. Moton, a licensed massage therapist, owned and operated a massage therapy business in Aiken, South Carolina called Flowing Hands Massage Clinical Therapy. As alleged in the indictment, Moton consistently billed veterans for services that were not rendered, such as multiple mutually exclusive evaluation and management codes, telehealth codes when in-person services were rendered, and specialized services she was not authorized to render or treatments for ailments veterans did not have or could not have received, for example, wheelchair therapy for a veteran who does not use a wheelchair. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Matthews and Amy Bower of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.
Today’s Takedown was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The cases were investigated by agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and 12 State Attorneys General Offices.
A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Rochester man who lured minor to hotel for sex pleads guiltyRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jonathan Woody, 31, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor, before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, maximum penalty of life and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that in January 2024, Woody engaged in sexually explicit online and text communications with a 13-year-old child that he met on social media. On January 2, 2024, Woody paid to transport the child to a hotel in Greece, NY, where he rented a room. While at the hotel, Woody provided alcohol and marijuana and engaged in sexual acts with the child. After realizing that the child was missing from home, the child’s family called 911 to initiate a missing person investigation. The child returned home, at which time law enforcement learned of Woody’s interactions with the child. Subsequent investigation resulted in the identification and arrest of Woody.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 30, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.
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Prince George’s County Man Sentenced to Decade in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Amos Oluremi Nureni, 43, of Laurel, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore, Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division, and Chief Marc Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD).
In September 2023, HSI and the DEA began investigating Nureni in connection with suspected fentanyl trafficking. During the investigation, law enforcement conducted two controlled purchases in which Nureni sold an undercover officer approximately 400-500 pills.
The pills were blue in color and imprinted with “M30” – mimicking the markings on legitimate pills from a manufacturer containing oxycodone hydrochloride. As confirmed by laboratory analysis, the blue “M30” pills contained fentanyl. In total, Nureni sold approximately 866 fentanyl pills — or nearly 100 grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl — to the undercover officer.
On the morning of March 27, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Nureni’s Laurel residence. During the search, law enforcement found a bag containing approximately 10.48 grams (98 pills) of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, and a silver Taurus pistol with an obliterated number, in Nureni’s safe. The pistol was loaded with a 9mm round of ammunition in the chamber and a magazine containing six rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Additionally, law enforcement found a large silver and red hydraulic press; small silver hydraulic press; digital scale with white powder residue; and several bags containing approximately 6.44 grams (61 pills) of fentanyl, approximately 6.25 grams of cocaine base, approximately 0.859 grams of cocaine, approximately 3.04 grams of cocaine, approximately 3.02 grams of methamphetamine, and approximately 1.478 grams of dipentylone, in Nureni’s residence.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI, the DEA, and MCPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan S. McKoy and Elizabeth Wright who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Previously Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for New Child Pornography Charges and Registration ViolationsRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – An Anthony man who had previously been convicted for aggravated sexual assault of a prepubescent child was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso today to life in prison plus 10 years for producing, possessing and exchanging child sexual abuse material (CSAM), violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), and committing a sex offense as a registered sex offender.
According to court documents, Mark Martinez, 57, was found to be distributing CSAM within a group on the social messaging application Kik. Martinez was previously convicted in 1991 for the sexual assault of a child around the age of eight years old and, as of 2022, was residing at an address unknown to his registration officer.
FBI agents executed a search warrant in August 2022, seizing several electronic devices containing CSAM images and videos. One of those devices contained multiple photos taken at his residence in July, depicting a female approximately five to six years old. The device also contained a folder of videos of another minor female downloaded from WhatsApp. A separate device revealed chats on the messaging app Telegram, in which Martinez admitted to sexually molesting a minor. Agents discovered approximately 2,391 CSAM images and 138 CSAM videos on one device, several of which involved prepubescent minors. Martinez’s cellphone contained approximately 50 more CSAM images.
A criminal complaint and arrest warrant were issued for Martinez in October 2022. Martinez had already fled to Mexico without reporting to his registration officer and was arrested at the Columbus Port of Entry in New Mexico when he returned March 3, 2023. A federal grand jury indicted Martinez March 22, 2023. He pleaded guilty to all five counts on Aug. 21, 2024.
“Placing this child predator behind bars for the rest of his life makes certain this predator will never again harm another child,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “The facts of this case are incredibly disturbing, and I thank all of our law enforcement partners for their work investigating this case, which led to this repeat offender’s ultimate conviction, and life imprisonment.”
"Martinez is a dangerous sexual predator who preyed on our community’s most vulnerable victims- our children. This case highlights the disturbing reality of sexual exploitation, and the sentence ensures this predator will remain behind bars and unable to continue such atrocities physically and on the web,” said FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge John Morales. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to work together to ensure no child is victimized in this way.”
The FBI, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the Winnebago County Sherriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Valenzuela and Lori Hughes prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Pittsburgh Felon Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Possession of Firearm and Violating Conditions of Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 65 months of prison on his conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm and violating the conditions of his supervised release, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Raymond Young, 23, on June 27, 2025.
According to information presented to the Court, on August 7, 2024, Glassport patrol officers stopped Young in a vehicle he was driving without a license. In preparation for towing Young’s vehicle, officers observed a firearm in the vehicle and attempted to remove Young, who then shifted the vehicle into gear and sped off, running over one officer’s feet and nearly striking another officer. Young’s vehicle came to a stop after hitting a parked vehicle. Young exited the vehicle and attempted to flee the scene on foot, but was apprehended by police.
In the defendant’s flight path, the officers recovered a Glock pistol with an extended magazine loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition and one round in the chamber. The firearm had been reported as stolen. Young is precluded under federal law from possessing a firearm because he was previously convicted of a felony for possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Young was still on federal supervised release for that offense when he was arrested by the Glassport Police on August 7, 2024.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Glassport Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Young.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Personal Health Care Aide Charged with Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Amstrong Chapajong, 38, of Cheverly, Maryland, has been charged in an information with health care fraud in connection with an overlapping billing scheme that defrauded the District of Columbia’s Medicaid program.
The charges were announced today by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas of the D.C. Office of the Inspector General (DC-OIG).
As alleged in the information, from March 2020 to January 2022, Chapajong, while working as both a personal care aide and community support worker, fraudulently claimed to provide in-home personal care and behavioral health services to multiple clients in different locations at the same time.
Additionally, Chapajong’s Electronic Visit Verification data most often showed he was not in the vicinity of his client’s homes, where he purported to be providing services.
In total, Chapajong billed and was paid $461,369 by Medicaid for his shifts with overlapping hours.
This case was jointly investigated by the FBI, the HHS-OIG, and DC-OIG’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Facci, who is on detail from the D.C. Office of the Inspector General.
Pair Admit Attempted Armed Kidnapping and Robbery of Apartment Property ManagerRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two people have admitted to attempting to kidnap and rob a St. Louis apartment property manager at gunpoint in 2024, as well as other gun crimes.
Emma M. Cunningham, 32, pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court to attempted kidnapping, transfer of a firearm to a convicted felon and making a false statement in connection with the purchase of a firearm.
Jervonz L. Williams, 49, pleaded guilty on June 23 to attempted kidnapping, robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Both admitted that on Feb. 20, 2024, Cunningham bought a handgun for Williams, her boyfriend and a convicted felon who is thus barred from possessing firearms. Cunningham lied on Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Form 4473 when she claimed she was buying the gun for herself and when she denied being an unlawful user of a controlled substance.
Williams admitted using the gun to threaten others, including one of Cunningham’s neighbors. He also admitted using it to rob a drug dealer of $17, a gun and cocaine base in late June of 2024. Williams struck the dealer on the head with the revolver multiple times during the robbery.
Williams and Cunningham used that gun again on Aug. 5, 2024, in a failed bid to kidnap an apartment property manager in St. Louis. The property manager was meeting Cunningham, her tenant, for a final walkthrough. When the victim entered the apartment, Cunningham locked the door and Williams threatened to kill her when she tried to call 911. Williams then demanded cash and the password to her phone so that they could access her financial accounts. They secured her to a chair with duct tape, but she broke free and was able to escape, even though Cunningham and Williams ripped off her shirt and tore out clumps of her hair trying to prevent her from leaving. Two days later, police arrested the couple. Williams had the .38-caliber revolver Cunningham purchased and she had a box of ammunition.
Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on September 24 and Cunningham on September 30. The kidnapping and robbery charges each carry a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The felon in possession and transfer of a firearm charge each carry a penalty of up to 15 years. The false statement charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Pensacola Man Sentenced for Possessing Illegal Narcotics and a Firearm in a Home with Young Children PresentRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Christopher Michael Stanton, Jr., 29, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
According to court records, on August 7, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Stanton’s residence on West Baars Street in Pensacola. In addition to Stanton and a female being present in the residence at the time of the search warrant, there were also three young children, all under the age of 10, present in the residence. Law enforcement located marijuana, cocaine, a loaded firearm, ammunition, loaded handgun magazines, and drug paraphernalia including a scale and cups with cocaine residue. Stanton was already a convicted felon.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “The fact that the defendant had dangerous narcotics strewn about his home in the presence of young children is inexcusable. My office is committed to the safety of our community, which includes keeping illegal narcotics off the streets and firearms out of the hands of convicted felons.”
The case involved a joint investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Task Force (HIDTA). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
PCP Dealer in Possession of a Machine Gun Sentenced to 138 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lamont Langston, 44, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 138 months in federal prison for supplying and coordinating the distribution of more than two kilograms of PCP to undercover officers while also possessing at least two firearms—a Glock with a machine gun conversion switch and an AK-style Draco semiautomatic pistol. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Langston pleaded guilty on Dec. 19, 2024, before Judge Dabney L. Friedrich to one count of possession with intent to distribute one kilo of phencyclidine (PCP) and to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In addition to the 138-month prison term, Judge Friedrich ordered Langston to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Langston procured PCP for the conspiracy from at least November through late February 2024. On nine occasions, Langston’s co-conspirator, Jamar Bennett, sold wholesale quantities of the PCP to two undercover officers in water or juice bottles.
Langston often stored the PCP at the home of co-conspirator Kelvin Sanker Jr., 42, who was later sentenced on Jan. 30, 2025, to 65 months in prison for his role in the trafficking ring. Co-conspirator Bennett, 45, was sentenced on Jan. 15, 2025, to 121 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of PCP, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Co-conspirator Norman Morris, 44, was convicted on June 4, 2025, for conspiracy to distribute PCP, following a jury trial. Morris will be sentenced on October 24, 2025.
In addition to being the source of supply, Langston acted as an organizer, leader, manager, or supervisor of others in the conspiracy. He admitted that he directed others in the preparation, storage, collection, and distribution of PCP.
On February 25, 2024, Langston met with a co-conspirator on the 300 block of 57th St. NE. As an MPD police cruiser came down the street, Langston turned, ran, and discarded a loaded Glock Model 22C .40 caliber handgun with a machine gun conversion device and an extended magazine. Langston was apprehended about 30 minutes later, after an extensive search involving a K9 unit and a police helicopter. Police recovered a loaded AK-style Century Arms Micro Draco pistol with a 30-round extended magazine, $9,868 in cash; and an 8-ounce water bottle containing PCP. Less than 48 hours after his arrest, Langston began making calls from the jail to his co-conspirators to protect and further the conspiracy.
Langston was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his 2016 Superior Court conviction, and three-year prison sentence, for assault with a dangerous weapon.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam L.D. Stempel and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Roman.
Security video still of Langston holding a can of starter fluid, as he let himself into a stash house for the conspiracy.
Orange County Man Charged in Federal Complaint Alleging He Helped $270 Million Medi-Cal Scam Involving Medication ReimbursementRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Orange County man has been charged via federal criminal complaint with submitting over an 11-month span nearly $270 million in fraudulent claims to Medi-Cal for expensive prescription drugs containing generic ingredients that were not medically necessary and, in many instances, not provided to the purported recipients, the Justice Department announced today.
Paul Richard Randall, 66, of Orange, is charged with health care fraud, a felony that carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
Randall made his initial appearance in United States District Court in Los Angeles on Friday and was ordered jailed without bond. His arraignment is scheduled for July 17.
Today’s announcement was made as part of the Justice Department’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.
Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized more than $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented more than $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown.
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
“Public health programs are designed to help the sick and needy, not to help unscrupulous individuals pad their pockets,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Working with our federal and state law enforcement partners, we will continue to crack down on those who cheat taxpayers via health care fraud.”
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Randall, Kyrollos Mekail, 37, of Moreno Valley, and Patricia Anderson, 57, of West Hills, took advantage of Medi-Cal’s suspension of its requirement that health care providers obtain prior authorization before providing certain health care services or medications as a condition of reimbursement. The suspension of the prior authorization requirements was part of an ongoing transition of Medi-Cal’s prescription drug program to a new payment system.
Through a business called Monte Vista Pharmacy, Randall and his co-schemers exploited Medi-Cal’s prior authorization suspension by billing Medi-Cal tens of millions of dollars per month for dispensing high-reimbursement, non-contracted, generic drugs through Monte Vista Pharmacy. Some prescription medications purportedly were to treat pain and included Folite tablets, a vitamin available over the counter.
Normally, these high-cost reimbursement medications would have required prior authorization under Medi-Cal’s old payment system. Medication involved in this scheme was medically unnecessary, frequently was not dispensed to patients, and procured by kickbacks.
From May 2022 to April 2023, Monte Vista billed Medi-Cal more than $269 million and was paid more than $178 million for 19 expensive, non-contracted drugs containing low-cost, generic ingredients that were not medically necessary, not provided, or both.
Randall and others then laundered their illicit proceeds by transferring the proceeds of the Medi-Cal fraud scheme to a third party to pay kickbacks to Anderson, to promote the fraud scheme and to conceal and disguise the transfers from detection by law enforcement.
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Relatedly, Anderson was charged in a two-count information charging her with health care fraud for her role in the scheme which was unsealed last week. Mekail pleaded guilty to criminal charges in August 2024 and awaits sentencing.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the FBI, and the California Department of Justice are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Roger A. Hsieh of the Major Frauds Section and Assistant Chief Niall M. O’Donnell and Trial Attorney Siobhan M. Namazi of the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section are prosecuting this case. Assistant United States Attorney James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section is handling asset forfeiture matters in this case.
Oklahoma City Man Charged with Medicare Fraud as Part of National TakedownRead the Press Release
Largest Justice Department Health Care Fraud Takedown in History Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with Over $14.6 Billion in Alleged Fraud
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, United States Attorney Robert J. Troester announced ALEXANDER FRANK, 55, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has been charged in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Medicare.
“We are committed to combatting fraud in our nation’s health care system, especially against federal programs that serve those most in need of care,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. “Today’s nationwide announcement is proof of the Department of Justice’s ongoing effort to protect Americans from those who seek to exploit government programs for their personal gain.”
On June 3, 2025, Frank was charged by indictment with twenty-five counts of health care fraud. As alleged in the indictment, between 2021 and 2023, Frank fraudulently billed Medicare for approximately $3.2 million dollars’ worth of face-to-face visits with beneficiaries in skilled nursing facilities which he did not render or rendered only in part. If convicted, Frank faces up to ten years in prison on each count, a $250,000 fine, and mandatory restitution.
The charges announced today are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in alleged false billings and over 15.6 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. In connection with the Takedown, the Government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets.
Details of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, and materials related to today’s national announcement, are available on the Department website through these links:
- Department of Justice press release
- Graphics and Resources
- Case Descriptions
- Court Documents
The Western District of Oklahoma case against Frank is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D.H. Dilbeck. The Western District of Oklahoma worked with the Department’s Criminal Division and the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General.
A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Nurse Practitioner Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud, Unlawful Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK –United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III announced today that Anja Salamack, age 50, of Delray Beach, Florida, pled guilty last week to health care fraud and to distributing controlled substances outside the course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
“Today’s record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown sends a crystal-clear message to criminal actors, both foreign and domestic, intent on preying upon our most vulnerable citizens and stealing from hardworking American taxpayers: we will find you, we will prosecute you, and we will hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Sarcone are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in alleged false billings and over 15.6 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. In connection with the Takedown, the Government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets.
Salamack, formerly an Albany resident, was a psychiatric nurse practitioner who resided in Florida but claimed to be practicing in Albany.
Salamack pled guilty to health care fraud for submitting false and fraudulent claims to health care benefit programs in New York State for health care services that she never provided, e.g. psychotherapy services, and evaluation and management services; she caused $163,639.58 in losses.
Salamack also pled guilty to unlawful drug distribution (also known as drug diversion), for issuing prescriptions for the controlled substance amphetamine (e.g. Adderall) for non-medical purposes and outside the usual course of professional practice. For instance, from November 2018 to May 2023, Salamack regularly prescribed amphetamine in the name of a person who had not been her patient since 2016. Salamack issued these prescriptions (108 in total) at the request of a relative of the former patient.
In a separate civil settlement agreement, Salamack admitted that she submitted claims to Medicare for psychotherapy services that were not rendered. She also admitted that she used $48,670 in Provider Relief Funds (PRF) for impermissible purposes. The PRF was money that the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act had allocated to healthcare providers to pay for costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Salamack agreed to pay $188,850 to resolve her False Claims Act liability.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “It’s sad and shameful for a licensed medical professional to abuse the privilege they have to provide care for people and instead inflict harm on others. This case shows that no matter where you are conducting illegal activities, if what you do impacts the Northern District of New York, you will be prosecuted and punished here. Thanks to a thorough investigation by the DEA and other law enforcement partners, Anja Salamack is out of business and faces the prospect of spending years in federal prison.”
“Health care professionals are not above the law and must be held to the highest standards, especially when dealing with controlled substances” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino. “Anja Salamack knowingly chose to put profits above the health and well-being of those lives she took an oath to help when she unlawfully prescribed the controlled substance amphetamine for non-medical purposes. Salamack’s actions were no different from those of any drug trafficker fueling an already deadly and highly addictive opioid crisis.”
“Individuals and entities that participate in government programs are required to obey the laws meant to preserve the integrity of program funds and ensure the provision of appropriate, quality services to patients,” stated Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “The defendant in this case put patients’ wellbeing in jeopardy and exploited vital programs meant to benefit her community.”
At sentencing, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci on October 22, 2025, Salamack faces up to 10 years in prison for health care fraud and up to 20 years in prison for drug diversion. She also faces a fine of up to $1 million, as well as at least 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Salamack has agreed to pay $163,659.68 in restitution for the health care fraud.
Salamack has already surrendered her DEA registration (which had allowed her to prescribe controlled substances).
The DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad (TDS) investigated this case. TDS is comprised of DEA Special Agents and Diversion Investigators, as well as Investigators from the New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Albany County Sheriff’s Office, and the Colonie Police Department assisted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett is prosecuting the criminal case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Moran represented the United States in the civil matter.
Nine Charged with Alleged Scheme to Generate Revenue for North Korean Government and Its Weapons of Mass Destruction ProgramRead the Press Release
UPDATE: This press release was revised on July 3, 2025 to reflect that a 10th individual was charged in a separate charging document that was unsealed on July 2, 2025.
BOSTON – Nine individuals have been indicted in Boston, Mass. including one New Jersey man and eight overseas actors from China and Taiwan in connection with an alleged scheme to generate revenue for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs. The alleged scheme involved the dispatchment of skilled information technology (IT) workers who, using stolen identities of U.S. persons, posed as domestic workers to obtain remote IT jobs with U.S. companies, including several Fortune 500 companies and a defense contractor.
The following defendants have been indicted for their roles in the scheme, which generated at least $5 million in revenue for North Korea:
- U.S. national Zhenxing “Danny” Wang of New Jersey;
- Chinese national Jing Bin Huang (靖斌 黄);
- Chinese national Baoyu Zhou (周宝玉);
- Chinese national Tong Yuze (佟雨泽);
- Chinese national Yongzhe Xu (徐勇哲 andيونجزهي أكسو), currently residing in the United Arab Emirates;
- Chinese national Ziyou Yuan (زيو), currently residing in the United Arab Emirates;
- Chinese national Zhenbang Zhou (周震邦);
- Taiwanese national Mengting Liu (劉 孟婷); and
- Taiwanese national Enchia Liu (刘恩)
Zhenxing Wang was arrested earlier today in New Jersey. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. A second U.S. national, Kejia “Tony” Wang of New Jersey, has also been charged in a separate charging document for his role in the scheme and has agreed to plead guilty.
As alleged in court documents, in response to U.S. and U.N. sanctions, the DPRK government has dispatched thousands of skilled IT workers around the world, who stole identities of U.S. persons and posed as domestic workers to obtain remote IT jobs with U.S. companies and generate revenue for DPRK weapons of mass destruction WMD programs. The DPRK IT workers’ scheme involved the use of pseudonymous email, social media, payment platform and online job site accounts, as well as false websites, proxy computers, and third-party enablers in the United States and abroad. According to the court documents the IT workers employed under this scheme also gained access to sensitive employer data and source code, including International Traffic in Arms Regulations data from a California-based defense contractor that develops artificial intelligence-powered equipment and technologies
“The threat posed by DPRK operatives is both real and immediate. Thousands of North Korean cyber operatives have been trained and deployed by the regime to blend into the global digital workforce and systematically target U.S. companies,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “We will continue to work relentlessly to protect U.S. businesses and ensure they are not inadvertently fueling the DPRK’s unlawful and dangerous ambitions.”
“These schemes target and steal from U.S. companies and are designed to evade sanctions and fund the North Korean regime’s illicit programs, including its weapons programs,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for the Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department, along with our law enforcement, private sector, and international partners, will persistently pursue and dismantle these cyber-enabled revenue generation networks.”
“The FBI will continue to work with our partners to expose and mitigate these fraudulent IT schemes and provide unwavering support to victims of North Korean cyber actors. While we have disrupted this group, this is merely the initial phase of the problem. The government of North Korea has trained and deployed thousands of IT workers to carry out similar schemes against U.S. companies daily. Protect your business by thoroughly vetting fully remote workers. The FBI strongly advises organizations to closely monitor their data, strengthen their remote hiring processes, and report any suspicious activity or fraud to the FBI,” said Rafik Mattar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Las Vegas Division.
“These Indictments should act as a deterrent for individuals and foreign entities attempting to illegally export critical defense information,” said John E. Helsing, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Western Field Office. “DCIS will continue to work aggressively with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute those who threaten our National Security and America’s Warfighters.”
“This multiagency case demonstrates the power of law enforcement agencies collaborating to dismantle international fraudulent schemes involving technology,” said Shawn Gibson, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in San Diego. “Let this investigation prove that HSI will aggressively identify and bring to justice those who seek to steal intellectual property through illegal access to computer networks in order to financially profit and jeopardize U.S.-based businesses who have fallen victim to these actors.”
According to the indictment, from approximately 2021 through October 2024, the defendants and other co-conspirators perpetuated a massive fraud scheme resulting in the transmission of false and misleading information to dozens of U.S. companies, financial institutions, and government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Social Security Administration (SSA). Specifically, these defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly compromised the identities of more than 80 U.S. persons; fraudulently obtained remote jobs at more than 100 U.S. companies, including several Fortune 500 companies and a cleared defense contractor; received laptops and other hardware from U.S. companies; accessed, without authorization, the internal systems of these U.S. companies, including sensitive employer data and source code; generated at least $5 million in revenue for the overseas IT workers; and caused U.S. victim companies to incur legal fees, computer network remediation costs, and other damages and losses of at least $3 million.
The overseas IT workers were allegedly assisted in this scheme by Kejia Wang, Zhenxing Wang, and at least four other identified U.S. facilitators. These facilitators allegedly received and/or hosted laptops belonging to U.S. victim companies at their residences to deceive the U.S. companies into believing the IT workers were in the United States. It is further alleged that they facilitated remote access to the computers for the overseas IT workers through illicit means, including downloading software to the computers without authorization from the U.S. companies, connecting the U.S. companies’ computers to internet-connected KVM switches, and creating shell companies with corresponding websites and financial accounts, including Hopana Tech LLC, Tony WKJ LLC and Independent Lab LLC to make it appear as though the overseas IT workers were affiliated with legitimate U.S. businesses. These facilitators also allegedly established accounts at U.S. financial institutions and online money transfer services to receive money from victimized U.S. companies, much of which was subsequently transferred to overseas co-conspirators. In exchange for their services, it is alleged that Kejia Wang, Zhenxing Wang, and the other U.S. facilitators collected at least $696,000 in fees.
According to court documents, in October 2024, seven locations in New York, New Jersey and California were searched and voluntary interviews at so-called “laptop farms” were conducted (that is, premises used to host U.S company laptop computers used in furtherance of the scheme), resulting in the recovery of more than 70 victim company devices. Additionally, 21 fraudulent web domains used to facilitate North Korean IT work have been seized, and 29 financial accounts, holding tens of thousands of dollars in funds, used to launder revenue for the North Korean regime through remote IT work.
Also today, the Northern District of Georgia unsealed an indictment charging four North Korean nationals with a scheme to steal virtual currency held by two victim companies valued at over $750,000 and laundering the proceeds overseas. Unlike traditional North Korean IT workers, who usually seek employment with the goal of remitting their salaries back to North Korea, the defendants charged by the Northern District of Georgia allegedly sought employment with virtual currency-related businesses to earn the trust of those businesses and then stole those businesses’ virtual assets.
Today’s announcement is the culmination of a multi-year investigation by federal law enforcement agencies and is one of several announced today as part of the Justice Department’s initiative, DPRK: Domestic Enabler. Under the initiative, Department prosecutors and agents continue to prioritize high-impact, strategic, and unified enforcement and disruption operations targeting DPRK’s illicit revenue generation efforts through remote IT workers, and the U.S.-based individuals who enable them.
The U.S. Department of State has offered potential rewards for up to $5 million in support of international efforts to disrupt North Korea’s illicit financial activities, including for certain information related to individuals who are sent outside of North Korea to work to generate money for the North Korean government or who facilitate the activities of such North Korean nationals.
The charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to cause damage to a protected computer provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of conspiracy to commit identity theft provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Foley; AAG Eisenberg; FBI Las Vegas Acting SAC Mattar; DCIS San Diego Acting SAC Helsing; and HSI San Diego SAC Shawn Gibson made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Casey of the National Security Unit is prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Gregory J. Nicosia, Jr. of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section. Valuable assistance was provided by FBI New York, Newark and San Diego Field Offices; HSI Newark Field Office; United States Postal Inspection Service’s San Diego Field Office; and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of New Jersey, the Eastern District of New York and the Southern District of California.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Nigerian man sentenced to 40 months in prison for scheme to steal identities and claim tax refundsRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Nigerian citizen who was arrested and extradited from the U.K. on an indictment in the Western District of Washington was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 40 months in prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Onomen Uduebor, aka Onomen Onohi, 39, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for the scheme to steal and use income tax data for fraud. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, “He freely participated in the fraud and had a substantial role in the scheme. Thirty years old is not a young man and he ought to have known better.”
“This defendant participated in a conspiracy that involved tricking companies around the United States, including a Tukwila-based company, into providing W-2 information on their employees. If the targeted Human Resources employee resisted providing the information via email, a schemer berated them via email posing as the company CEO,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “This conduct damaged companies, employees, and the Internal Revenue Service. While the IRS caught most of the fake tax refund filings, it left the individual victims with tax headaches and a sense of fear since their identities had been stolen.”
According to the indictment, between February 2016 and April 2017, the conspirators created false emails that appeared to come from a company executive asking the Human Resources Department for the W-2 data. The conspirators manipulated the email so that any reply would go to an email address that they controlled. The conspirators then used the information from the W-2s to file more than 300 bogus tax returns claiming more than $1 million in tax refunds. The conspirators targeted companies across the U.S. in this scheme.
Uduebor admits that he filed 150 of the false tax returns and tracked the refunds and payments to bank accounts that the schemers set up in the names of the victims. While the IRS paid out about $140,000 to the fraudsters, Uduebor says he received only $10,000 from the scheme. The IRS was able to seize some of the money back from the conspirators, so the total restitution owed to the U.S. Treasury is $122,720.
Uduebor was ordered to forfeit the $10,000 that he admitted to earning and pay $122,720 in restitution to the IRS.
In asking the court for a three-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Miriam Hinman wrote to the court, “This scheme harmed individual taxpayers, victim companies, and the IRS…. Taxpayers had trouble filing their real tax returns, and they expended a large amount of time and emotional energy on resolving their tax situation. This process delayed refunds, sometimes causing problems for taxpayers who relied on receiving the refund funds. Taxpayers have had lasting stress and expenses related to protecting themselves from identity theft.”
Speaking in court today Uduebor said “I have read the victim impact statements and I know an apology is not enough…. I was desperate to succeed in my music career. It is not an excuse, but it is the truth.”
Uduebor was arrested in the United Kingdom in September 2023. He arrived in the U.S. in March 2025. He pleaded guilty in April 2025. Uduebor will likely be deported to Nigeria following his prison term.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Miriam Hinman. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance with the extradition process.
New Orleans Man Indicted for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that SHAWN ROUSELL (“ROUSELL”), age 30, was indicted on June 26, 2025, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
According to the indictment, ROUSELL, possessed a Glock Model 27, .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun, loaded with ammunition. ROUSELL is a convicted felon and, as such, is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. If convicted, ROUSELL faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and New Orleans Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiwana Wright of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Nearly 50 charged in Southern District of Texas as part of national health care fraud takedownRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 22 cases are being announced as part of local efforts targeting health care fraud and include various schemes alleging unlawful distribution of controlled substances, some of which were diverted onto the black market, hospice fraud, kickbacks and other Medicare/Medicaid fraud schemes involving medically unnecessary genetic tests, durable medical equipment and more.
The charges filed in Southern District of Texas (SDTX) federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 national health care fraud takedown.
“Americans rely on Medicare for needed treatments and living-saving care. Those that bilk this fund to unlawfully enrich themselves are ultimately stealing from the taxpayer and damaging public confidence in our health system,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “Today’s takedown is a reminder to would-be medical fraudsters that the Department of Justice is always standing guard over the public fisc.”
“This record-setting health care fraud takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
One of the largest cases include three individuals for their alleged roles in a $110 million hospice fraud and kickback scheme. The charges allege Dera Ogudo, 39, and Victoria Martinez, 35, both of Richmond, operated hospice company United Palliative & Hospice Company (UPHC) that misled vulnerable elderly adults about what services were being billed to their Medicare and Medicaid plans. According to court documents, UPHC Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and/or their family members believed they would be receiving palliative or home health services. In truth, these patients were enrolled in hospice services but were not actually terminally ill as Medicare and Medicaid requires, according to the charges. Ogudo allegedly paid kickbacks to several group homeowners in exchange for enrolling their beneficiaries in hospice with UPHC and bribed a physician to certify and re-certify UPHC patients as terminally ill when they were not. Ogudo also allegedly paid kickbacks to Evelyn Shaw, 52, Houston, in exchange for referrals from a local psychiatric hospital where Shaw was employed as discharge coordinator.
In relation to the scheme, Carlos Munoz, 57, Richmond, is charged by information. Ogudo allegedly paid Munoz, a medical doctor, kickbacks and bribes to certify and re-certify Medicare and Medicaid patients for hospices services.
In a separate case, Keilan Peterson aka Young Jay or Jay, 38, and Kimberly Martinez, 47, Houston, have been charged for their alleged participation in a scheme to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances in exchange for cash through Relief Medical Center and GroveCare clinics in Houston. As alleged in their indictment, Peterson paid three doctors to allow Peterson, Martinez and others at the clinics to use the doctors’ electronic prescribing credentials to issue prescriptions for significant amounts of hydrocodone, carisoprodol and oxycodone. Peterson also allegedly sent some of these illegitimate prescriptions to his own pharmacy, Next Level Pharmacy, and took possession of the controlled substances to sell on the black market. In total, the indictment alleges Peterson and others issued over 2 million controlled substance pills, the vast majority of which were unauthorized, issued without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice.
A podiatrist and the self-proclaimed CEO of a local medical clinic were also charged in another $90 million Medicare fraud scheme. The 15-count superseding indictment alleges David Jenson, 57, and Nestor Rafael Romero Magallanes, 29, both of Spring, conspired to fraudulently bill Medicare for over $90 million for skin substitute products-often for patients who did not have qualifying wounds. They allegedly submitted claims for patients who did not have qualifying wounds, or any wounds at all, and continued billing even after a 2023 audit denied all their claims and flagged the conduct as improper. The indictment further alleges Jenson and Romero falsified medical records to make it appear patients had chronic wounds and manipulated documentation to show those wounds were improving despite no such existing conditions.
Charged with wire fraud, Tyneza P. Mitchell, 43, Spring, was allegedly involved in a scheme to bill the COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured Program. The charges allege billing included in-office consultations regarding COVID diagnosis and treatment she never provided. As alleged in the indictment, Mitchell is a licensed nurse practitioner who received $9.9 million as a result of her fraudulent scheme.
Daphne Johnson, 60, Stafford, was allegedly involved in a scheme to bill Medicaid $793,804 for mental health therapy services she never provided. As alleged in the information, Johnson received $331,112 as a result of her fraudulent scheme.
Prosecutors with the Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force also filed charges against several more individuals in this district with assistance from SDTX.
Chad Harper, 49, Pearland, is facing numerous charges in connection with a $115 Medicare fraud scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Harper owned multiple laboratories through which he billed Medicare for genetic and other diagnostic testing induced by kickbacks and bribes which were medically unnecessary or otherwise ineligible for Medicare. The indictment alleges Harper generated business through a nationwide network of marketers who directed referrals to the laboratories in exchange for illegal kickbacks that Harper paid through shell companies. Harper allegedly funded his operation through, among other ways, obtaining a fraudulent equipment loan from a local credit union. Harper allegedly laundered the proceeds of his schemes through other shell companies, which purchased and held real properties and assets and passed profits on to Harper.
Dr. Maryam “Meg” Qayum, 67, New Caney, is charged with multiple counts of illegally distributing a controlled substance along with Jared Williams, 48, Pearland; and Tomi-Ko Bowers, 70, Lester “Lay” Stokes, 37, and Melvin Sampson, 55, all of Houston. The charges stem from their alleged roles in diverting more than three million opioids onto the black market. As alleged in the indictment, Qayum is a medical doctor and Bowers an advanced practice registered nurse who operated Recare Clinic in Kingwood along with Stokes. They allegedly sold oxycodone and hydrocodone prescriptions to drug traffickers in exchange for cash. Sampson is alleged to be one such individual who recruited others to pose as patients, paid cash for the prescriptions from Qayum, filled Qayum’s prescriptions at complicit pharmacies and resold the drugs on the black market.
Other Strike Force cases include one charging Sacha Lashun Betts, 47, Houston, and Nicholas Aguillard, 49, Rosenberg; Lisa Darlene Durden, 60, and Jordan O. Williams, 56, both of Missouri City; Quincy Guillory, 51, Richmond; Mykel Walker, 42, Cypress, and Kaeita Rankin, 48, Houston. The indictment alleges they participated in a conspiracy to distribute and dispense controlled substances in connection with the establishment, oversight and operation of a drug trafficking organization that controlled more than a dozen “front” pharmacies used to sell opioids and other commonly abused prescription drugs, often in bulk, to street-level drug dealers on Houston’s black market. From 2015 through 2022, the defendants’ pharmacies unlawfully distributed and dispensed more than 4.4 million doses of opioids and other commonly abused prescription drugs, with an estimated street value exceeding $75 million, according to the charges. The co-conspirators allegedly sold opioids and other commonly abused prescription drugs to street-level drug traffickers in exchange for cash.
Other cases involve fraudulent schemes for kickbacks or billing Medicare for medically unnecessary genetic tests or footbath drugs, durable medical equipment, conspiracies to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances, some involving diversion onto the black market or in connection to the operation of pill-mill pharmacies. Those charged in this district also include residents of Houston, Richmond, League City, Rosharon, Sugar Land, Katy, Pearland and Manvel as well as U.S. citizens from Florida, Indiana and Georgia.
All the cases are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in intended loss and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. The United States has seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles and other assets in connection with the takedown.
Descriptions of each SDTX case and others involved in the enforcement actions are available on the Department of Justice’s website.
Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General (OIG), FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Federal Housing Finance Agency – OIG and U.S. Postal Service - OIG conducted the various investigations with assistance of police departments in Conroe, Dickinson and Houston. Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA) Brad Gray, Kathryn Olson, Christine Lu, Alexander Alum and Thomas Carter are prosecting the SDTX cases with assistance from AUSAs Kristine Rollinson and Brandon Fyffe who are handling forfeiture matters. Counsel to the Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit Alexis Gregorian, Acting Assistant Chief Devon Helfmeyer, Senior Litigation Counsel Catherine Wagner and Trial Attorneys Adam Tisdall, Andrew Tamayo, Monica Cooper, Benjamin Smith, Yael Mash, Erika V. Suhr, Ethan Womble, Claire Horrell and Gary A. Crosby are prosecuting the Strike Force matters.
SDTX and The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Rapid Response, Texas, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England and Northeast Strike Forces are prosecuting the cases as well as U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Districts of Columbia, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont; Northern and Western Districts of Texas; Central, Northern and Southern Districts of California; Middle, Northern and Southern Districts of Florida; Middle District of Georgia; Northern District of Illinois; Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky; Eastern and Middle Districts of Louisiana; Eastern District of Michigan; Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi; Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio; Northern and Western Districts of Oklahoma; Eastern District of Pennsylvania; Middle and Western Districts of Tennessee; Eastern District of Virginia; Western District of Washington; Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team.
A complaint, information or indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
National Health Care Fraud Takedown results in 324 defendants charged in connection with over $14.6 billion in alleged fraudRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, NY — Today, United States Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced criminal charges were brought against Dr. Joel Durinka, and a civil action was filed against Dr. Enaame Farrell in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicare. Both matters involved prescribing durable medical equipment (DME) that were not medically necessary. Their conduct resulted in Medicare paying millions of dollars for DME that were not medically necessary. The two matters are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
Fraud, waste and abuse targeting Medicare impacts all taxpayers who fund the program,” stated U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. “This office will not hesitate to pursue those who defraud government programs funded by taxpayer dollars.”
Joel Durinka, 40, of Orchard Park, NY, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, and false statements relating to health care matters in connection with a telehealth/durable medical equipment (“DME”) scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Durinka, a medical doctor, billed Medicare for audio-only telehealth visits that were either brief or did not occur at all. Durinka billed Medicare approximately $5.6 million for these fraudulent telehealth visits. It was also part of the scheme that, for the same beneficiaries, Durinka produced and maintained false and fictitious medical records and fraudulently certified orders for braces without regard to the braces’ medical necessity. Durinka billed Medicare approximately $29.6 million for these fraudulent DME orders. The government has seized $325,683.07 in money from Durinka. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Glaberson and David M. Coriell of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
Enaame Farrell, 50, of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, was subject to a civil complaint alleging violations of the False Claims Act, as well as other common law causes of action, in connection with scheme to defraud Medicare by causing the submission of false and fraudulent claims for which Medicare paid approximately $3.4 million. As alleged in the complaint, Farrell, a licensed medical doctor, ordered items and services, including durable medical equipment, for Medicare beneficiaries without speaking with or examining the beneficiaries, signing pre-populated order forms within seconds of accessing the beneficiaries’ medical records. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Coriell of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
The Justice Department today announced the results of its 2025 takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.
Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented over $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown.
Today’s Takedown was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The cases were investigated by agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and 12 State Attorneys General Offices.
“As part of making healthcare accessible and affordable to all Americans, HHS will aggressively work with our law enforcement partners to eliminate the pervasive health care fraud that bedeviled this agency under the former administration and drove up costs,” said Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of the Department of Health and Human Services.
“The Criminal Division is intensely committed to rooting out health care fraud schemes and prosecuting the criminals who perpetrate them because these schemes: (1) often result in physical patient harm through medically unnecessary treatments or failure to provide the correct treatments; (2) contribute to our nationwide opioid epidemic and exacerbate controlled substance addiction; and (3) do all of that while stealing money hardworking Americans contribute to pay for the care of their elders and other vulnerable citizens,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices stand united with our law enforcement partners in this fight, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the integrity of our health care programs for the American people.”
“Health care fraud drains critical resources from programs intended to help people who truly need medical care,” said Director Kash Patel of the FBI. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to pursuing those who exploit the system for personal gain. With more than $13 billion in fraud uncovered, this is the largest takedown for this initiative to date. Together, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold those accountable who steal from the American people and undermine our health care systems.”
Transnational Criminal Organizations
29 defendants were charged for their roles in transnational criminal organizations alleged to have submitted over $12 billion in fraudulent claims to America’s health insurance programs.
For instance, a nationwide investigation known as Operation Gold Rush resulted in the largest loss amount ever charged in a health care fraud case brought by the Department. These charges were announced in the Eastern District of New York, the Northern District of Illinois, the Central District of California, the Middle District of Florida, and the District of New Jersey against 19 defendants. Twelve of these defendants have been arrested, including four defendants who were apprehended in Estonia as a result of international cooperation with Estonian law enforcement and seven defendants who were arrested at U.S. airports and the U.S. border with Mexico, cutting off their intended escape routes as they attempted to avoid capture.
The organization allegedly used a network of foreign straw owners, including individuals sent into the United States from abroad, who, acting at the direction of others using encrypted messaging and assumed identities from overseas, strategically bought dozens of medical supply companies located across the United States. They then rapidly submitted $10.6 billion in fraudulent health care claims to Medicare for urinary catheters and other durable medical equipment by exploiting the stolen identities of over one million Americans spanning all 50 states and using their confidential medical information to submit the fraudulent claims. As alleged, the organization exploited the U.S. financial system by laundering the fraudulent proceeds and deploying a range of tactics to circumvent anti-money laundering controls to transfer funds into cryptocurrency and shell companies located abroad. The arrests announced today also include a banker who facilitated the money laundering of fraud proceeds on behalf of the organization through a U.S.-based bank.
The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team and its partners detected the anomalous billing through proactive data analytics, and HHS-OIG and CMS successfully prevented the organization from receiving all but approximately $41 million of the approximately $4.45 billion that was scheduled to be paid by Medicare. HHS and CMS intend to seek to return the $4.41 billion in escrow to the Medicare trust fund for needed medical care. The scheme nonetheless resulted in payments of approximately $900 million from Medicare supplemental insurers. To date, law enforcement has seized approximately $27.7 million in fraud proceeds as part of Operation Gold Rush.
In another action involving foreign influence, charges were filed in the Northern District of Illinois against five defendants, including two owners and executives of Pakistani marketing organizations, in connection with a $703 million scheme in which Medicare beneficiaries’ identification numbers and other confidential health information were allegedly obtained through theft and deceptive marketing. The defendants allegedly used artificial intelligence to create fake recordings of Medicare beneficiaries purportedly consenting to receive certain products. According to court documents, the beneficiaries’ confidential information was then illegally sold to laboratories and durable medical equipment companies, which used this unlawfully obtained and fraudulently generated data to submit false claims to Medicare. Certain defendants controlled dozens of nominee-owned durable medical equipment companies and laboratories that allegedly submitted fraudulent claims for products and services the beneficiaries did not request, need, or receive. Certain defendants also allegedly conspired to conceal and launder the fraud proceeds from bank accounts they controlled in the United States to bank accounts overseas. In total, the defendants caused approximately $703 million in alleged fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, which paid approximately $418 million on those claims. The government seized approximately $44.7 million from various bank accounts related to this case.
Finally, a defendant based in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates who owned a billing company allegedly orchestrated a scheme to prey upon vulnerable individuals in need of addiction treatment by conspiring with treatment center owners to fraudulently bill Arizona Medicaid approximately $650 million for substance abuse treatment services. According to court documents, some of the services billed were never provided, while other services were provided at a level that was so substandard that it failed to serve any treatment purpose. As part of the conspiracy, treatment center owners allegedly paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for the referral of patients recruited from the homeless population and Native American reservations. The defendant received at least $25 million of ill-gotten Arizona Medicaid funds as a result of the conspiracy and is charged with a money laundering offense for his alleged use of those funds to purchase a $2.9 million home located on a golf estate in Dubai.
Fraudulent Wound Care
Charges were filed in the District of Arizona and the District of Nevada against seven defendants, including five medical professionals, in connection with approximately $1.1 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare and other health care benefit programs for amniotic wound allografts. As alleged, certain defendants targeted vulnerable elderly patients, many of whom were receiving hospice care, and applied medically unnecessary amniotic allografts to these patients’ wounds. Many of the allografts allegedly were applied without coordination with the patients’ treating physicians, without proper treatment for infection, to superficial wounds that did not need this treatment, and to areas that far exceeded the size of the wound. Certain defendants allegedly received millions in illegal kickbacks from the fraudulent billing scheme.
“Today's unprecedented enforcement action demonstrates that CMS and our federal partners are united in our mission to protect the integrity of Medicare and Medicaid by crushing waste, fraud, and abuse," said Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz of CMS. "Every dollar we prevent from going to fraudsters is a dollar that stays in the system to serve legitimate beneficiaries. Through advanced data analytics, real-time monitoring, and swift administrative action, CMS is leading the fight to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and the trust Americans place in these vital programs. We're not waiting for fraud to happen—we're stopping it before it starts."
Prescription Opioid Trafficking
74 defendants, including 44 licensed medical professionals, were charged across 58 cases in connection with the alleged illegal diversion of over 15 million pills of prescription opioids and other controlled substances. For example, five defendants associated with one Texas pharmacy were charged with the unlawful distribution of over 3 million opioid pills. As alleged, the defendants conspired to distribute massive quantities of oxycodone, hydrocodone, and carisoprodol, which were subsequently trafficked by street-level drug dealers, generating large profits for the defendants. This coordinated action is a continuation of the Health Care Fraud Unit’s systematic approach to stopping drug trafficking organizations and their pharmaceutical wholesale suppliers, which together have fueled an epidemic of prescription opioid abuse for nearly a decade.
DEA also announced today that in the last six months, DEA charged 93 administrative cases seeking the revocation of pharmacies, medical practitioners, and companies’ authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances.
“Health care fraud isn’t just theft — it’s trafficking in trust. Today’s announcement shows that when doctors become drug dealers and treatment centers become profit-driven fraud rings, DEA will act,” said Acting Administrator Robert Murphy of the DEA. “We’re targeting the entire ecosystem of fraud — from pill mills in Texas to kickback clinics exploiting Native communities. If you abuse your medical license to push poison or pad your pockets, we will hold you accountable.”
Telemedicine and Genetic Testing Fraud
In today’s Takedown, 49 defendants were charged in connection with the submission of over $1.17 billion in allegedly fraudulent claims to Medicare resulting from telemedicine and genetic testing fraud schemes. For example, in the Southern District of Florida, prosecutors charged an owner of telemedicine and durable medical equipment companies with a $46 million scheme in which Medicare beneficiaries were allegedly targeted through deceptive telemarketing campaigns and then fraudulent claims were submitted to Medicare for durable medical equipment and genetic tests for these beneficiaries. The Department continues to focus on eliminating health care fraud schemes that depend on telemedicine, including schemes involving fraudulent claims for genetic testing, durable medical equipment, and COVID-19 tests.
Other Health Care Fraud Schemes
The other cases announced today charge an additional 170 defendants with various other health care fraud schemes involving over $1.84 billion in allegedly false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies for diagnostic testing, medical visits, and treatments that were medically unnecessary, provided in connection with kickbacks and bribes, or never provided at all. For example, in the Western District of Tennessee, prosecutors charged three defendants, including business owners and a pharmacist, with a $28.7 million scheme to defraud the Federal Employees’ Compensation Fund by allegedly billing for medications for injured United States Postal Service employees that were never prescribed by a licensed practitioner and largely were not dispensed as claimed. And in the Western District of Washington and the Northern District of California, prosecutors charged medical providers with allegedly stealing fentanyl and hydrocodone, respectively, that was meant for the providers’ patients, including child patients in need of anesthesia.
“VA’s Integrated Veteran Care Programs provide critical community-based health care to our nation’s disabled veterans and their dependents,” said Acting Inspector General David Case of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG). “Robust oversight of VA’s health care system is one of VA-OIG’s highest priorities. VA-OIG is committed to holding accountable those who defraud government benefits programs intended to care for our nation’s heroes.”
Breaking Down Silos in the Fight Against Health Care Fraud
In connection with the coordinated nationwide law enforcement operation, the Department is announcing that it is working closely with HHS-OIG, FBI, and other agencies to create a Health Care Fraud Data Fusion Center to bring together experts from the Department’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section, Health Care Fraud Unit Data Analytics Team; HHS-OIG; FBI; and other agencies to leverage cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics to identify emerging health care fraud schemes. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team was established in 2018 to enhance the Unit’s ability to detect, investigate, and prosecute complex health care fraud schemes. Joining forces with data analysts from HHS-OIG, FBI, and other partners will increase efficiency, detection, and rapid prosecution of emerging health care fraud schemes. It will also implement the President’s Executive Order Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos (Exec. Order No. 14243, 3 C.F.R. 294 (2025)) by reducing duplicative data teams, increasing operational efficiency through a whole-of-government approach, and leveraging cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and other agency resources.
Principal Assistant Deputy Chief Jacob Foster, Assistant Deputy Chief Rebecca Yuan, Trial Attorney Miriam L. Glaser Dauermann, and Data Analyst Elizabeth Nolte, all of the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, led and coordinated this year’s Takedown. The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorneys General’s Offices for California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team used cutting-edge data analytics to identify and support the investigations that led to these charges.
In addition to FBI, HHS-OIG, DEA, and CMS, HSI, VA-OIG, IRS Criminal Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Labor, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies participated in the operation. The Medicaid Fraud Control Units of California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin also participated in the investigation of many of the federal and state cases announced today.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Forces. Prior to the charges announced as part of today’s nationwide Takedown and since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which operates in 27 districts, charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively billed Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers more than $27 billion.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
*****
The following materials related to today’s announcement are available on the Health Care Fraud Unit’s website through these links:
• Graphics and Resources
• Case Descriptions
• Court Documents
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National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with over $14.6 Billion in Alleged FraudRead the Press Release
Largest Justice Department Health Care Fraud Takedown in History
More than Doubles Prior Record of $6 BillionThe Justice Department today announced the results of its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.
Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented over $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown.
Today’s Takedown was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The cases were investigated by agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and 12 State Attorneys General Offices.
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
“As part of making healthcare accessible and affordable to all Americans, HHS will aggressively work with our law enforcement partners to eliminate the pervasive health care fraud that bedeviled this agency under the former administration and drove up costs,” said Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of the Department of Health and Human Services.
“The Criminal Division is intensely committed to rooting out health care fraud schemes and prosecuting the criminals who perpetrate them because these schemes: (1) often result in physical patient harm through medically unnecessary treatments or failure to provide the correct treatments; (2) contribute to our nationwide opioid epidemic and exacerbate controlled substance addiction; and (3) do all of that while stealing money hardworking Americans contribute to pay for the care of their elders and other vulnerable citizens,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices stand united with our law enforcement partners in this fight, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the integrity of our health care programs for the American people.”
“The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins of HHS-OIG. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.”
“Health care fraud drains critical resources from programs intended to help people who truly need medical care,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to pursuing those who exploit the system for personal gain. With more than $13 billion in fraud uncovered, this is the largest takedown for this initiative to date. Together, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold those accountable who steal from the American people and undermine our health care systems.”
Transnational Criminal Organizations
29 defendants were charged for their roles in transnational criminal organizations alleged to have submitted over $12 billion in fraudulent claims to America’s health insurance programs.
For instance, a nationwide investigation known as Operation Gold Rush resulted in the largest loss amount ever charged in a health care fraud case brought by the Department. These charges were announced in the Eastern District of New York, the Northern District of Illinois, the Central District of California, the Middle District of Florida, and the District of New Jersey against 19 defendants. Twelve of these defendants have been arrested, including four defendants who were apprehended in Estonia as a result of international cooperation with Estonian law enforcement and seven defendants who were arrested at U.S. airports and the U.S. border with Mexico, cutting off their intended escape routes as they attempted to avoid capture.
The organization allegedly used a network of foreign straw owners, including individuals sent into the United States from abroad, who, acting at the direction of others using encrypted messaging and assumed identities from overseas, strategically bought dozens of medical supply companies located across the United States. They then rapidly submitted $10.6 billion in fraudulent health care claims to Medicare for urinary catheters and other durable medical equipment by exploiting the stolen identities of over one million Americans spanning all 50 states and using their confidential medical information to submit the fraudulent claims. As alleged, the organization exploited the U.S. financial system by laundering the fraudulent proceeds and deploying a range of tactics to circumvent anti-money laundering controls to transfer funds into cryptocurrency and shell companies located abroad. The arrests announced today also include a banker who facilitated the money laundering of fraud proceeds on behalf of the organization through a U.S.-based bank.
The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team and its partners detected the anomalous billing through proactive data analytics, and HHS-OIG and CMS successfully prevented the organization from receiving all but approximately $41 million of the approximately $4.45 billion that was scheduled to be paid by Medicare. HHS and CMS intend to seek to return the $4.41 billion in escrow to the Medicare trust fund for needed medical care. The scheme nonetheless resulted in payments of approximately $900 million from Medicare supplemental insurers. To date, law enforcement has seized approximately $27.7 million in fraud proceeds as part of Operation Gold Rush.
In another action involving foreign influence, charges were filed in the Northern District of Illinois against five defendants, including two owners and executives of Pakistani marketing organizations, in connection with a $703 million scheme in which Medicare beneficiaries’ identification numbers and other confidential health information were allegedly obtained through theft and deceptive marketing. The defendants allegedly used artificial intelligence to create fake recordings of Medicare beneficiaries purportedly consenting to receive certain products. According to court documents, the beneficiaries’ confidential information was then illegally sold to laboratories and durable medical equipment companies, which used this unlawfully obtained and fraudulently generated data to submit false claims to Medicare. Certain defendants controlled dozens of nominee-owned durable medical equipment companies and laboratories that allegedly submitted fraudulent claims for products and services the beneficiaries did not request, need, or receive. Certain defendants also allegedly conspired to conceal and launder the fraud proceeds from bank accounts they controlled in the United States to bank accounts overseas. In total, the defendants caused approximately $703 million in alleged fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, which paid approximately $418 million on those claims. The government seized approximately $44.7 million from various bank accounts related to this case.
Finally, a defendant based in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates who owned a billing company allegedly orchestrated a scheme to prey upon vulnerable individuals in need of addiction treatment by conspiring with treatment center owners to fraudulently bill Arizona Medicaid approximately $650 million for substance abuse treatment services. According to court documents, some of the services billed were never provided, while other services were provided at a level that was so substandard that it failed to serve any treatment purpose. As part of the conspiracy, treatment center owners allegedly paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for the referral of patients recruited from the homeless population and Native American reservations. The defendant received at least $25 million of ill-gotten Arizona Medicaid funds as a result of the conspiracy and is charged with a money laundering offense for his alleged use of those funds to purchase a $2.9 million home located on a golf estate in Dubai.
Fraudulent Wound Care
Charges were filed in the District of Arizona and the District of Nevada against seven defendants, including five medical professionals, in connection with approximately $1.1 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare and other health care benefit programs for amniotic wound allografts. As alleged, certain defendants targeted vulnerable elderly patients, many of whom were receiving hospice care, and applied medically unnecessary amniotic allografts to these patients’ wounds. Many of the allografts allegedly were applied without coordination with the patients’ treating physicians, without proper treatment for infection, to superficial wounds that did not need this treatment, and to areas that far exceeded the size of the wound. Certain defendants allegedly received millions in illegal kickbacks from the fraudulent billing scheme.
“Today's unprecedented enforcement action demonstrates that CMS and our federal partners are united in our mission to protect the integrity of Medicare and Medicaid by crushing waste, fraud, and abuse," said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. "Every dollar we prevent from going to fraudsters is a dollar that stays in the system to serve legitimate beneficiaries. Through advanced data analytics, real-time monitoring, and swift administrative action, CMS is leading the fight to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and the trust Americans place in these vital programs. We're not waiting for fraud to happen—we're stopping it before it starts."
Prescription Opioid Trafficking
74 defendants, including 44 licensed medical professionals, were charged across 58 cases in connection with the alleged illegal diversion of over 15 million pills of prescription opioids and other controlled substances. For example, five defendants associated with one Texas pharmacy were charged with the unlawful distribution of over 3 million opioid pills. As alleged, the defendants conspired to distribute massive quantities of oxycodone, hydrocodone, and carisoprodol, which were subsequently trafficked by street-level drug dealers, generating large profits for the defendants. This coordinated action is a continuation of the Health Care Fraud Unit’s systematic approach to stopping drug trafficking organizations and their pharmaceutical wholesale suppliers, which together have fueled an epidemic of prescription opioid abuse for nearly a decade.
DEA also announced today that in the last six months, DEA charged 93 administrative cases seeking the revocation of pharmacies, medical practitioners, and companies authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances.
“Health care fraud isn’t just theft — it’s trafficking in trust. Today’s announcement shows that when doctors become drug dealers and treatment centers become profit-driven fraud rings, DEA will act,” said Acting Administrator Robert Murphy of the DEA. “We’re targeting the entire ecosystem of fraud — from pill mills in Texas to kickback clinics exploiting Native communities. If you abuse your medical license to push poison or pad your pockets, we will hold you accountable.”
Telemedicine and Genetic Testing Fraud
In today’s Takedown, 49 defendants were charged in connection with the submission of over $1.17 billion in allegedly fraudulent claims to Medicare resulting from telemedicine and genetic testing fraud schemes. For example, in the Southern District of Florida, prosecutors charged an owner of telemedicine and durable medical equipment companies with a $46 million scheme in which Medicare beneficiaries were allegedly targeted through deceptive telemarketing campaigns and then fraudulent claims were submitted to Medicare for durable medical equipment and genetic tests for these beneficiaries. The Department continues to focus on eliminating health care fraud schemes that depend on telemedicine, including schemes involving fraudulent claims for genetic testing, durable medical equipment, and COVID-19 tests.
Other Health Care Fraud Schemes
The other cases announced today charge an additional 170 defendants with various other health care fraud schemes involving over $1.84 billion in allegedly false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies for diagnostic testing, medical visits, and treatments that were medically unnecessary, provided in connection with kickbacks and bribes, or never provided at all. For example, in the Western District of Tennessee, prosecutors charged three defendants, including business owners and a pharmacist, with a $28.7 million scheme to defraud the Federal Employees’ Compensation Fund by allegedly billing for medications for injured United States Postal Service employees that were never prescribed by a licensed practitioner and largely were not dispensed as claimed. And in the Western District of Washington and the Northern District of California, prosecutors charged medical providers with allegedly stealing fentanyl and hydrocodone, respectively, that was meant for the providers’ patients, including child patients in need of anesthesia.
“VA’s Integrated Veteran Care Programs provide critical community-based health care to our nation’s disabled veterans and their dependents,” said Acting Inspector General David Case of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG). “Robust oversight of VA’s health care system is one of VA-OIG’s highest priorities. VA-OIG is committed to holding accountable those who defraud government benefits programs intended to care for our nation’s heroes.”
Breaking Down Silos in the Fight Against Health Care Fraud
In connection with the coordinated nationwide law enforcement operation, the Department is announcing that it is working closely with HHS-OIG, FBI, and other agencies to create a Health Care Fraud Data Fusion Center to bring together experts from the Department’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section, Health Care Fraud Unit Data Analytics Team; HHS-OIG; FBI; and other agencies to leverage cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics to identify emerging health care fraud schemes. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team was established in 2018 to enhance the Unit’s ability to detect, investigate, and prosecute complex health care fraud schemes. Joining forces with data analysts from HHS-OIG, FBI, and other partners will increase efficiency, detection, and rapid prosecution of emerging health care fraud schemes. It will also implement the President’s Executive Order Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos (Exec. Order No. 14243, 3 C.F.R. 294 (2025)) by reducing duplicative data teams, increasing operational efficiency through a whole-of-government approach, and leveraging cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and other agency resources.
Principal Assistant Deputy Chief Jacob Foster, Assistant Deputy Chief Rebecca Yuan, Trial Attorney Miriam L. Glaser Dauermann, and Data Analyst Elizabeth Nolte, all of the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, led and coordinated this year’s Takedown. The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorneys General’s Offices for California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team used cutting-edge data analytics to identify and support the investigations that led to these charges.
In addition to FBI, HHS-OIG, DEA, and CMS, HSI, VA-OIG, IRS Criminal Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Labor, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies participated in the operation. The Medicaid Fraud Control Units of California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin also participated in the investigation of many of the federal and state cases announced today.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Forces. Prior to the charges announced as part of today’s nationwide Takedown and since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which operates in 27 districts, charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively billed Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers more than $27 billion.
The following materials related to today’s announcement are available on the Health Care Fraud Unit’s website through these links:
• Graphics and Resources
• Case Descriptions
• Court Documents
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with over $14.6 Billion in Alleged FraudRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced the results of its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.
Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented over $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut contributed significantly to an investigation dubbed “Operation Gold Rush” (see additional information below). As alleged in the forfeiture complaint, a transnational criminal organization based in Russia and elsewhere used straw purchasers to buy small durable medical equipment (DME) companies located in the U.S. After acquiring the companies and their billing information, they used stolen Medicare patient information to bill Medicare for billions of dollars of DME that was not provided. The forfeiture action stemmed from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Marshals Service into health care fraud from a company named Medical Home Care, based in Bethel, Connecticut. After it was purchased for $400,000 by a company operated by a Czech national in March 2023, Medical Home Care submitted more than $152,000 in fraudulent claims to Medicare and other organizations. Money from Medical Home Care was sent to Malaysia and Hong Kong. As the investigation expanded, 28 bank accounts associated with a variety of companies and containing more than $17 million were seized by law enforcement. The civil forfeiture proceeding is being prosecuted by Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section Trial Attorneys Emily Cohen and Chelsea Rooney, and by Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Nelson of the District of Connecticut.
“Operation Gold Rush revealed a breathtaking exploitation of important federal and private health care programs, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut is gratified to be working to recover millions of dollars in stolen funds,” said David X. Sullivan, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. “Civil asset forfeiture is a critical tool that permits the government to recover money from bad actors all over the world, especially when criminal prosecution proves more difficult. While the Justice Department continues to pursue those responsible for these health care fraud schemes, we and our law enforcement partners will use our skill and resources to identify and seize bank accounts in order to make their crimes significantly less profitable.”
Also in the District of Connecticut, on June 23, 2025, Michele Rene Luzzi Muzyka, 60, of Cheshire, was arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging her with unlawful distribution of controlled substances and making false statements in connection with health care matters. The complaint alleges that Muzyka, an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), unlawfully distributed amphetamines and benzodiazepines to individuals who did not have a legitimate medical need. Muzyka charged patients $200 in cash for visits in which she prescribed Schedule II and IV controlled substances, including to an undercover agent who posed as a Medicaid beneficiary. Muzyka declined to accept the undercover agent’s Medicaid plan and instead charged her $200 cash fee. Medicaid paid $257.58 for the unlawful prescriptions written for the undercover agent. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Boyles.
Today’s Takedown was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The cases were investigated by agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and 12 State Attorneys General Offices.
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
"As part of making healthcare accessible and affordable to all Americans, HHS will aggressively work with our law enforcement partners to eliminate the pervasive health care fraud that bedeviled this agency under the former administration and drove up costs,” said Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of the Department of Health and Human Services.
“The Criminal Division is intensely committed to rooting out health care fraud schemes and prosecuting the criminals who perpetrate them because these schemes: (1) often result in physical patient harm through medically unnecessary treatments or failure to provide the correct treatments; (2) contribute to our nationwide opioid epidemic and exacerbate controlled substance addiction; and (3) do all of that while stealing money hardworking Americans contribute to pay for the care of their elders and other vulnerable citizens,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices stand united with our law enforcement partners in this fight, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the integrity of our health care programs for the American people.”
“Health care fraud drains critical resources from programs intended to help people who truly need medical care,” said Director Kash Patel of the FBI. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to pursuing those who exploit the system for personal gain. With more than $13 billion in fraud uncovered, this is the largest takedown for this initiative to date. Together, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold those accountable who steal from the American people and undermine our health care systems.”
Transnational Criminal Organizations
29 defendants were charged for their roles in transnational criminal organizations alleged to have submitted over $12 billion in fraudulent claims to America’s health insurance programs.
For instance, a nationwide investigation known as Operation Gold Rush resulted in the largest loss amount ever charged in a health care fraud case brought by the Department. These charges were announced in the Eastern District of New York, the Northern District of Illinois, the Central District of California, the Middle District of Florida, and the District of New Jersey against 19 defendants. Twelve of these defendants have been arrested, including four defendants who were apprehended in Estonia as a result of international cooperation with Estonian law enforcement and seven defendants who were arrested at U.S. airports and the U.S. border with Mexico, cutting off their intended escape routes as they attempted to avoid capture.
The organization allegedly used a network of foreign straw owners, including individuals sent into the United States from abroad, who, acting at the direction of others using encrypted messaging and assumed identities from overseas, strategically bought dozens of medical supply companies located across the United States. They then rapidly submitted $10.6 billion in fraudulent health care claims to Medicare for urinary catheters and other durable medical equipment by exploiting the stolen identities of over one million Americans spanning all 50 states and using their confidential medical information to submit the fraudulent claims. As alleged, the organization exploited the U.S. financial system by laundering the fraudulent proceeds and deploying a range of tactics to circumvent anti-money laundering controls to transfer funds into cryptocurrency and shell companies located abroad. The arrests announced today also include a banker who facilitated the money laundering of fraud proceeds on behalf of the organization through a U.S.-based bank.
The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team and its partners detected the anomalous billing through proactive data analytics, and HHS-OIG and CMS successfully prevented the organization from receiving all but approximately $41 million of the approximately $4.45 billion that was scheduled to be paid by Medicare. HHS and CMS intend to seek to return the $4.41 billion in escrow to the Medicare trust fund for needed medical care. The scheme nonetheless resulted in payments of approximately $900 million from Medicare supplemental insurers. To date, law enforcement has seized approximately $27.7 million in fraud proceeds as part of Operation Gold Rush.
In another action involving foreign influence, charges were filed in the Northern District of Illinois against five defendants, including two owners and executives of Pakistani marketing organizations, in connection with a $703 million scheme in which Medicare beneficiaries’ identification numbers and other confidential health information were allegedly obtained through theft and deceptive marketing. The defendants allegedly used artificial intelligence to create fake recordings of Medicare beneficiaries purportedly consenting to receive certain products. According to court documents, the beneficiaries’ confidential information was then illegally sold to laboratories and durable medical equipment companies, which used this unlawfully obtained and fraudulently generated data to submit false claims to Medicare. Certain defendants controlled dozens of nominee-owned durable medical equipment companies and laboratories that allegedly submitted fraudulent claims for products and services the beneficiaries did not request, need, or receive. Certain defendants also allegedly conspired to conceal and launder the fraud proceeds from bank accounts they controlled in the United States to bank accounts overseas. In total, the defendants caused approximately $703 million in alleged fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, which paid approximately $418 million on those claims. The government seized approximately $44.7 million from various bank accounts related to this case.
Finally, a defendant based in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates who owned a billing company allegedly orchestrated a scheme to prey upon vulnerable individuals in need of addiction treatment by conspiring with treatment center owners to fraudulently bill Arizona Medicaid approximately $650 million for substance abuse treatment services. According to court documents, some of the services billed were never provided, while other services were provided at a level that was so substandard that it failed to serve any treatment purpose. As part of the conspiracy, treatment center owners allegedly paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for the referral of patients recruited from the homeless population and Native American reservations. The defendant received at least $25 million of ill-gotten Arizona Medicaid funds as a result of the conspiracy and is charged with a money laundering offense for his alleged use of those funds to purchase a $2.9 million home located on a golf estate in Dubai.
Fraudulent Wound Care
Charges were filed in the District of Arizona and the District of Nevada against seven defendants, including five medical professionals, in connection with approximately $1.1 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare and other health care benefit programs for amniotic wound allografts. As alleged, certain defendants targeted vulnerable elderly patients, many of whom were receiving hospice care, and applied medically unnecessary amniotic allografts to these patients’ wounds. Many of the allografts allegedly were applied without coordination with the patients’ treating physicians, without proper treatment for infection, to superficial wounds that did not need this treatment, and to areas that far exceeded the size of the wound. Certain defendants allegedly received millions in illegal kickbacks from the fraudulent billing scheme.
“Today's unprecedented enforcement action demonstrates that CMS and our federal partners are united in our mission to protect the integrity of Medicare and Medicaid by crushing waste, fraud, and abuse," said Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz of CMS. "Every dollar we prevent from going to fraudsters is a dollar that stays in the system to serve legitimate beneficiaries. Through advanced data analytics, real-time monitoring, and swift administrative action, CMS is leading the fight to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and the trust Americans place in these vital programs. We're not waiting for fraud to happen—we're stopping it before it starts."
Prescription Opioid Trafficking
74 defendants, including 44 licensed medical professionals, were charged across 58 cases in connection with the alleged illegal diversion of over 15 million pills of prescription opioids and other controlled substances. For example, five defendants associated with one Texas pharmacy were charged with the unlawful distribution of over 3 million opioid pills. As alleged, the defendants conspired to distribute massive quantities of oxycodone, hydrocodone, and carisoprodol, which were subsequently trafficked by street-level drug dealers, generating large profits for the defendants. This coordinated action is a continuation of the Health Care Fraud Unit’s systematic approach to stopping drug trafficking organizations and their pharmaceutical wholesale suppliers, which together have fueled an epidemic of prescription opioid abuse for nearly a decade.
DEA also announced today that in the last six months, DEA charged 93 administrative cases seeking the revocation of pharmacies, medical practitioners, and companies authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances.
“Health care fraud isn’t just theft — it’s trafficking in trust. Today’s announcement shows that when doctors become drug dealers and treatment centers become profit-driven fraud rings, DEA will act,” said Acting Administrator Robert Murphy of the DEA. “We’re targeting the entire ecosystem of fraud — from pill mills in Texas to kickback clinics exploiting Native communities. If you abuse your medical license to push poison or pad your pockets, we will hold you accountable.”
Telemedicine and Genetic Testing Fraud
In today’s Takedown, 49 defendants were charged in connection with the submission of over $1.17 billion in allegedly fraudulent claims to Medicare resulting from telemedicine and genetic testing fraud schemes. For example, in the Southern District of Florida, prosecutors charged an owner of telemedicine and durable medical equipment companies with a $46 million scheme in which Medicare beneficiaries were allegedly targeted through deceptive telemarketing campaigns and then fraudulent claims were submitted to Medicare for durable medical equipment and genetic tests for these beneficiaries. The Department continues to focus on eliminating health care fraud schemes that depend on telemedicine, including schemes involving fraudulent claims for genetic testing, durable medical equipment, and COVID-19 tests.
Other Health Care Fraud Schemes
The other cases announced today charge an additional 170 defendants with various other health care fraud schemes involving over $1.84 billion in allegedly false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies for diagnostic testing, medical visits, and treatments that were medically unnecessary, provided in connection with kickbacks and bribes, or never provided at all. For example, in the Western District of Tennessee, prosecutors charged three defendants, including business owners and a pharmacist, with a $28.7 million scheme to defraud the Federal Employees’ Compensation Fund by allegedly billing for medications for injured United States Postal Service employees that were never prescribed by a licensed practitioner and largely were not dispensed as claimed. And in the Western District of Washington and the Northern District of California, prosecutors charged medical providers with allegedly stealing fentanyl and hydrocodone, respectively, that was meant for the providers’ patients, including child patients in need of anesthesia.
“VA’s Integrated Veteran Care Programs provide critical community-based health care to our nation’s disabled veterans and their dependents,” said Acting Inspector General David Case of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG). “Robust oversight of VA’s health care system is one of VA-OIG’s highest priorities. VA-OIG is committed to holding accountable those who defraud government benefits programs intended to care for our nation’s heroes.”
Breaking Down Silos in the Fight Against Health Care Fraud
In connection with the coordinated nationwide law enforcement operation, the Department is announcing that it is working closely with HHS-OIG, FBI, and other agencies to create a Health Care Fraud Data Fusion Center to bring together experts from the Department’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section, Health Care Fraud Unit Data Analytics Team; HHS-OIG; FBI; and other agencies to leverage cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics to identify emerging health care fraud schemes. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team was established in 2018 to enhance the Unit’s ability to detect, investigate, and prosecute complex health care fraud schemes. Joining forces with data analysts from HHS-OIG, FBI, and other partners will increase efficiency, detection, and rapid prosecution of emerging health care fraud schemes. It will also implement the President’s Executive Order Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos (Exec. Order No. 14243, 3 C.F.R. 294 (2025)) by reducing duplicative data teams, increasing operational efficiency through a whole-of-government approach, and leveraging cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and other agency resources.
Principal Assistant Deputy Chief Jacob Foster, Assistant Deputy Chief Rebecca Yuan, Trial Attorney Miriam L. Glaser Dauermann, and Data Analyst Elizabeth Nolte, all of the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, led and coordinated this year’s Takedown. The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorneys General’s Offices for California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team used cutting-edge data analytics to identify and support the investigations that led to these charges.
In addition to FBI, HHS-OIG, DEA, and CMS, HSI, VA-OIG, IRS Criminal Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Labor, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies participated in the operation. The Medicaid Fraud Control Units of California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin also participated in the investigation of many of the federal and state cases announced today.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Forces. Prior to the charges announced as part of today’s nationwide Takedown and since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which operates in 27 districts, charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively billed Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers more than $27 billion.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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The following materials related to today’s announcement are available on the Health Care Fraud Unit’s website through these links:
• Graphics and Resources
• Case Descriptions
• Court Documents
National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with over $14.6 Billion in Alleged FraudRead the Press Release
37 Defendants Charged in the Southern District of Florida
MIAMI – Today, United States Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne announced criminal charges against thirty-seven defendants in connection with alleged schemes to unlawfully distribute controlled substances and defraud federal health care programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. The charges were filed in federal court and are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
The Justice Department today announced the results of its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.
Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented over $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown.
Today’s Takedown was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The cases were investigated by agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and 12 State Attorneys General Offices.
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
“As part of making healthcare accessible and affordable to all Americans, HHS will aggressively work with our law enforcement partners to eliminate the pervasive health care fraud that bedeviled this agency under the former administration and drove up costs,” said Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of the Department of Health and Human Services.
“The Criminal Division is intensely committed to rooting out health care fraud schemes and prosecuting the criminals who perpetrate them because these schemes: (1) often result in physical patient harm through medically unnecessary treatments or failure to provide the correct treatments; (2) contribute to our nationwide opioid epidemic and exacerbate controlled substance addiction; and (3) do all of that while stealing money hardworking Americans contribute to pay for the care of their elders and other vulnerable citizens,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices stand united with our law enforcement partners in this fight, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the integrity of our health care programs for the American people.”
“The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins of HHS-OIG. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.”
“Health care fraud drains critical resources from programs intended to help people who truly need medical care,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to pursuing those who exploit the system for personal gain. With more than $13 billion in fraud uncovered, this is the largest takedown for this initiative to date. Together, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold those accountable who steal from the American people and undermine our health care systems.”
The following individuals were charged in the Southern District of Florida:
In United States v. Eduardo Tieles Ruiz, Case No. 25-20283-CR-Becerra, Eduardo Tieles Ruiz, 43, of Miami, Florida, was charged by indictment with health care fraud. Tieles Ruiz was the owner of the clinic Newtech Medical Supply, LLC (“Newtech”), located in Margate, Florida. The indictment alleges that, between March 2022 and September 2022, the defendant, through Newtech, submitted $2,946,910 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid for durable medical equipment that was not needed or provided and was paid approximately $1,310,277. HHS-OIG Miami, FBI Miami, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Florida Office of the Attorney General (MFCU) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Abraham is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture.
In United States v. Sergio De La Noval, Case No. 25-20276-CR-Williams, Sergio De La Noval, 54, of Miami Lakes, Florida, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to offer and pay health care kickbacks to patients. As alleged in the indictment, De La Noval, as a beneficial owner of the clinic Florida Behavior Health, Inc., located in Hialeah, Florida, participated in a conspiracy to pay patients illegal kickbacks to attend psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) services at the clinic which were then billed to Medicaid. The co-conspirators used the recruited patients to submit claims to Medicaid and were paid a total of approximately $1,264,974. HHS-OIG Miami, FBI Miami, and Florida MFCU investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Abraham is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture.
In United States v. Ernesto Davila, 25-60163-CR-Damian, Ernesto Davila, 52, of Miami, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to offer and pay health care kickbacks to patients. The information alleges that Davila, as the registered owner of the clinic Florida Behavior Health, Inc., located in Hialeah, Florida, participated in a conspiracy to pay patients illegal kickbacks to attend psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) services at the clinic, which were then billed to Medicaid. The co-conspirators used the recruited patients to submit claims to Medicaid and were paid a total of approximately $1,264,974. HHS-OIG Miami, FBI Miami, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Florida Office of the Attorney General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Abraham is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture.
In United States v. Dave Sudarshan Singh, Case No. 25-60164-CR-Leibowitz, Dave Sudarshan Singh, 37, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud, health care fraud, and money laundering for submitting false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 tests for Medicare beneficiaries who had not requested the tests, including some claims where the Medicare beneficiaries were actually deceased. Between April 4, 2022, and May 11, 2023, Medicare covered up to eight OTC COVID-19 tests per month for Medicare beneficiaries who requested them. As alleged in the Indictment, Singh, along with his co-conspirators, through his business, MDP Products and Services, Inc., submitted and caused the submission of approximately $14,112,672 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, of which approximately $13,007,376 was paid, for OTC COVID-19 tests that the Medicare beneficiaries did not request and were not eligible for reimbursement. The indictment alleges that Singh and his co-conspirators paid marketing companies kickbacks and bribes in exchange for Medicare beneficiary information needed to bill for OTC COVID-19 tests. The indictment also alleges that Singh engaged in a $198,160 transaction using health care fraud proceeds at a Mercedes dealership and seeks to forfeit a 2021 White Mercedes G63. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Abraham of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, with assistance from HHS-OIG, FBI, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Florida Office of the Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture.
In United States v. Patrick Buchanan, Case No. 25-60163-CR-Damian, Patrick Buchanan, 39, of Broward County, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Buchanan was the registered owner of Sigma Institute of Health Careers, Inc., located in Lauderhill, Florida. As charged, Buchanan participated in a conspiracy to sell fraudulent nursing diplomas and transcripts to individuals seeking licenses and jobs as registered nurses. FBI Miami, HHS-OIG Miami, and Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Florida Office of the Attorney General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Clark is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grasnoff is handling asset forfeiture.
In United States v. Jacquez Dion Tullis, et al., Case No. 25-20271-CR-Ruiz, Jacquez Dion Tullis, 41, of Tamarac, Florida; Taneka Nakia Pace, 49, of Miami, Florida; and Junaque Nicole Tullis, a/k/a “Juanaque Tullis,” 44, of Coral Springs, Florida, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud financial institutions out of approximately $1,780,000 through the submission of fraudulent credit applications for cosmetic surgery and other medical services that were never provided. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants created six cosmetic surgery clinics and then submitted applications on behalf of those clinics to become approved merchants with financial institutions with lending programs that provided lines of credit to individuals seeking funding for out-of-pocket medical care, treatments, and services not covered by insurance. The defendants then used the personal identifying information of individuals without their authorization or consent to submit credit applications to those financial institutions on behalf of those individuals, falsely certifying that the clinics would provide cosmetic surgery and related medical care to them. In fact, the clinics never provided any such medical care, nor did the individuals on whose behalf the clinics submitted credit applications need or want any such treatments. The defendants are also charged with individual counts of wire fraud for submitting fraudulent loan applications on behalf of the clinics and another business to the Small Business Administration for small business loans designed to provide emergency financial assistance to businesses suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Will J. Rosenzweig is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Demirci is handling asset forfeiture.
In United States v. Noris Artola, et al., Case No. 25-20296-CR-Williams, Noris Artola, 64, and Ailyn Francisco, 40, both of Miami, Florida, were charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud for submitting false and fraudulent claims to the Medicare Part D Program on behalf of Miami-based US Hwy 1 Pharmacy Inc. for the provision of prescription drugs to Medicare beneficiaries that were medically unnecessary and, in many cases, never provided. As a result of these false and fraudulent claims, the Medicare Part D Program and Medicare drug plan sponsors paid US Hwy 1 Pharmacy Inc. approximately $784,903. FBI Miami and HHS-OIG investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will J. Rosenzweig of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Demirci is handling asset forfeiture.
In United States v. Jorge Luis Almansa, et al., Case No. 25-60142-CR-Dimitrouleas, Jorge Luis Almansa, 53, and Christian “Chris” Cruz, 44, both of Pompano Beach, Florida, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud and health care fraud for submitting false and fraudulent claims to Medicare in the approximate amount of $11,417,462 for the provision of durable medical equipment to Medicare beneficiaries. As a result, Medicare paid approximately $3,712,345, which Almansa and Cruz then distributed to themselves and their co-conspirators. The indictment alleges that Almansa and Cruz, through a company called Brace Yourself, paid marketing companies for referrals of Medicare beneficiaries for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (“DME”). The marketers used telemedicine companies to obtain doctors’ orders prescribing DME to beneficiaries who had never been seen by the prescribing doctor, which Brace Yourself would then use to bill Medicare. In some instances, the marketers generated doctors’ orders that included the electronic signature of a beneficiary’s own doctor without that doctor’s permission or authorization. HHS-OIG and FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Will J. Rosenzweig is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Demirci is handling asset forfeiture.
In United States v. Jean Jethro Alexandre, et al., Case No. 25-60147-CR-Dimitrouleas, Jean Jethro Alexandre, 44, of Haiti; Cheyenne Twinette Early, 30, of Plantation, Florida; and Sheere Antoinette Proctor, 51, of Plantation, Florida, were charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Alexandre, Early, and Proctor were the owners, operators, and managers of CMJ Health Group, Inc. (“CMJ”), located in Miami Gardens, Florida, and The Proctor Medical Group (“TPMG”), located in Pompano Beach, Florida. CMJ and TPMG purported to operate as medical clinics providing health care services to individuals for the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). In reality, defendants and their co-conspirators ran CMJ and TPMG as prescription mills for drugs intended to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, which CMJ acquired at significant discounts from drug manufacturers through its participation in the 340B Drug Pricing Program (the “340B Program”). Defendants and their co-conspirators exploited the 340B Program by, among other things, paying kickbacks to patient recruiters and purported patients to furnish prescriptions for 340B drugs; falsifying dispensing records; destroying 340B drugs before they were provided to any person; and using the fraud proceeds for their personal benefit. The alleged intended loss from the conspiracy was approximately $58.1 million. FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Snider is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
In United States v. Richard Weldon Crowder II, Case No. 25-60150-CR-Smith, Richard Weldon Crowder II, 59, of Miami, Florida, the true owner of New Day Health Solutions (“New Day”), Liberty Medical Supply (“Liberty”), and RNK Medical Supply Inc. (“RNK”) in Boca Raton, Florida, was charged by criminal information. The information charges the defendant with conspiracy to commit health care fraud for conducting a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare on behalf of unsuspecting beneficiaries for durable medical equipment (“DME”). The information alleges that, in addition to naming another employee as the listed owner of New Day, Liberty, and RNK in order to hide his own ownership of the companies, the defendant also conspired with others to enlist the services of telemedicine doctors who would sign off on medically unnecessary DME prescriptions for the Medicare beneficiaries. The information alleges that, from June 2022 through September 2022, New Day, Liberty, and RNK received approximately $381,703 in fraudulently induced reimbursements from Medicare. HHS-OIG investigated the case with assistance from the FBI Miami. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eduardo Gardea, Jr., and Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
In United States v Lazaro Delgado, Case No. 25-20290-CR-Ruiz, Lazaro Delgado, 59, of Miami, Florida, was charged by criminal information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. The information alleges that the defendant participated, along with other co-conspirators, in a scheme to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid on behalf of unsuspecting beneficiaries. The information also alleges that the defendant acted as an intermediary to place a nominal owner as the head of Hucel Custom Med Inc. (Hucel), while other co-conspirators coordinated the false and fraudulent claims for durable medical equipment products that the beneficiaries did not need. The information alleges that, from January 2022 through at least July 2022, Hucel fraudulently billed Medicare/Medicaid for approximately $9 million worth of orthotic braces and received Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements for approximately $1.8 million from the fraudulent claims. Health and Human Services—Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eduardo Gardea, Jr., and Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
In United States v. Juan Carlos Cardella, 25-20280-CR-Gayles, Juan Carlos Cardella, 60, of Miami, Florida, was charged by indictment with conspiring to sell and distribute Medicare beneficiary identifier numbers under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (“MACRA”), possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices, and aggravated identity theft. The indictment alleges that going back as far as around June 2022, the defendant conspired with others to obtain confidential patient information from a regional health care provider based in Miami-Dade County, in order to sell the patient names, dates of birth, and Medicare beneficiary numbers of those patients to unauthorized individuals. The indictment further alleges that on multiple occasions, including as recently as November 14, 2024, and February 11, 2025, the defendant sold patient lists of more than 100 Medicare beneficiaries for approximately $7,000 per list. FBI Miami and HHS-OIG investigated the case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eduardo Gardea, Jr., and Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
In United States v Marlen Veliz Rios, Case No. 25-20281-CR-Ruiz, Marlen Veliz Rios, 58, of Hialeah, Florida, owner of Loves Community Health Mental Health Inc. (“Loves”), was charged by indictment with health care fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment alleges that Veliz Rios carried out a scheme with others to fraudulently bill approximately $15,349,089 worth of wound care and skin graft products on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries that never received and did not need them, and that Loves received approximately $10,033,562 in fraudulently induced reimbursements from Medicare. Further, the indictment alleges that upon receipt of the fraud proceeds, Veliz Rios caused bank transfers from the Loves bank account to shell companies that she also controlled. The indictment also alleges that Veliz laundered fraud proceeds by issuing checks from her shell company accounts to others. As a result of this broader investigation, the government has already seized more than $4,600,000 in fraud proceeds from the various accounts involved in this case. HHS-OIG and the FBI Miami investigated the case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eduardo Gardea, Jr., and Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Raemy Charest-Turken is handling the asset forfeiture.
In United States v. Ismaray Alvarez Larzabal, Case No. 25-20287-CR-Gayles, Ismaray Alvarez Larzabal, 38, of Cape Coral, Florida, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with two fraudulent durable medical equipment (“DME”) companies that defrauded Medicare and Medicaid in the approximate amount of $8 million for DME that was medically unnecessary and not being provided as represented. As alleged in the indictment, Larzabal was the manager and registered agent of Larzabal Remodeling Services, LLC, which she used to launder approximately $615,078 of fraud proceeds into the company’s bank account and her personal bank accounts. HHS-Miami and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Florida Office of the Attorney General investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Marc Canzio of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitch Hyman is handling asset forfeiture.
In United States v. Onel Marquez Rodriguez, a/k/a "Osiel," Case No. 25-20279-CR-Williams, Marquez Rodriguez, 55, of Miami, Florida, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit money laundering involving health care fraud proceeds and money laundering of health care fraud proceeds. The indictment alleges that between June 2019 and December 2023, the defendant, with others, laundered approximately $4,341,676 in health care fraud payments from health care companies and shell companies through hundreds of checks written to several money laundering companies. FBI Miami and HHS-OIG Miami investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Roger Cruz is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture.
In United States v. Approximately $1,008,709.82 in U.S. Currency Seized from Account No. 9116035605 at Citibank, N.A., in the Name of Florida Med Equip Corp., Case No. 25-cv-22648-RKA, a civil asset forfeiture action, the United States seeks to forfeit $1,008,709.42 in health care fraud proceeds seized from Florida Med Equip Corp.’s bank account. Florida Med was a Florida corporation located in Sunrise, Florida, that between January 2022 and September 2022 submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for durable medical equipment that was medically unnecessary and not provided as represented. Many providers and Medicare beneficiaries told law enforcement that they did not prescribe, receive, request, or need any of the medical equipment that Florida Med cited when it billed Medicare. Medicare paid approximately $1,163,967 to Florida Med, and law enforcement seized almost all of it, $1,008,709. In this civil forfeiture complaint, the money is the defendant, and the United States alleges that this money is proceeds of a conspiracy to commit health care fraud and proceeds of health care fraud subject to civil asset forfeiture pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 981(a)(1)(C). This case is being prosecuted by Asset Forfeiture Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Raemy Charest-Turken in the Southern District of Florida.
In United States v Jose Ramon Chang Moreno, Case No. 25-mj-8351-WM, Jose Ramon Chang Moreno, 38, of Miami, Florida, owner of Quantum Complete Inc. (“Quantum”), was charged via complaint with health care fraud. The complaint alleges that Chang Moreno carried out a scheme to fraudulently bill approximately $9,403,423 worth of wound care products, on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries that never received and did not need them, and that Quantum received approximately $4,980,418 in fraudulently induced reimbursements from Medicare. HHS-OIG and FBI Miami investigated the case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Shaw.
In United States v. Caleb Espinoza, Case No. 25-20291-CR-Altonaga, Caleb Espinoza, 28, of Weston, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to defraud the United States. As alleged in the Information, Espinoza created and enrolled with Medicare a series of durable medical equipment (“DME”) companies that he then sold to various conspirators who desired to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare. Espinoza and his co-conspirators falsified Medicare enrollment forms and other records to conceal the true ownership and management of the DME companies, which enabled the true owners who purchased the DME companies to immediately submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. The DME companies that Espinoza sold as part of the conspiracy made false and fraudulent claims totaling approximately $21,635,791 for orthotic braces and wound dressings that were medically unnecessary, ineligible for Medicare reimbursement, and not provided as billed. Medicare paid approximately $9,197,220 for these claims. FBI Miami and HHS-OIG investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Angela J. Benoit, with substantial assistance from Jessica A. Massey of the Florida Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Demirci of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.
In United States v. Sean J. Alterman, Case No. 25-80105-CR-Middlebrooks, Sean J. Alterman, 37, of Lake Worth, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to offer and pay health care kickbacks in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary genetic testing. As alleged in the information, Alterman owned two laboratories through which he billed Medicare for doctors’ orders that he procured through kickbacks. Specifically, he paid call center operators to generate the orders by running deceptive telemarketing campaigns to persuade the Medicare beneficiaries to agree to the tests. The call centers then would “doctor chase” the beneficiaries’ physicians to sign orders for the tests by sending them faxes containing false, fraudulent, and misleading representations designed to induce them into ordering the tests. Alterman’s laboratories billed approximately $52 million to Medicare, of which about $36 million was paid. Alterman is forfeiting his primary residence located in Lake Worth, Florida, and his 2022 Rolls Royce Ghost as assets traceable to proceeds of the scheme. HHS-OIG and FBI Miami investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Reginald Cuyler Jr. and Aisha Schafer Hylton of the Florida Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.
In United States v. John R. Robinson Jr., Case No. 25-80104-CR-Rosenberg, John R. Robinson Jr., 35, of Boca Raton, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to solicit and receive health care kickbacks in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary genetic testing. As alleged in the information, Robinson owned a call center through which he sold doctors’ orders for genetic tests to laboratories by running deceptive telemarketing campaigns to get the Medicare beneficiaries to agree to the tests. His call center then would “doctor chase” the beneficiaries’ physicians to sign orders for the tests by sending them faxes containing false, fraudulent, and misleading representations designed to induce them into ordering the tests. The laboratories to which he sold the orders billed approximately $62 million to Medicare, of which about $44 million was paid. HHS-OIG and FBI Miami investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Reginald Cuyler Jr. and Aisha Schafer Hylton of the Florida Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.
In United States v. Marco Antonio Rosas Scamarone, et al., Case No. 25-60148-CR-Singhal, Marco Antonio Rosas Scamarone a/k/a “King Po,” 33, Renee Vazquez a/k/a “King Jungle,” 32, and Roberto Vasquez Morales, 32, all of Tamarac, Florida, and Jose Cristobal Mendez a/k/a “BayBay,” 33, of Coral Springs, Florida, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States for their roles in a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare approximately $6.8 million for durable medical equipment (“DME”) that was medically unnecessary and procured through the payment of kickbacks and bribes to marketers, including to an offshore call center. Scamarone, Mendez, and Vazquez were also charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and multiple counts of money laundering for their roles laundering the proceeds of the fraud through shell companies. As alleged in the Indictment, Scamarone and Mendez purchased two DME companies, Braces and Orthotics LLC and Stone Oak Durable Medical Equipment, LLC, and concealed their ownership of these companies from Medicare by employing Vazquez and another individual to serve as the listed owners of the companies. Scamarone and Morales paid kickbacks and bribes to co-conspirators, including one who operated an offshore call center based in the Philippines, to obtain Medicare beneficiary information and doctors’ orders used to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary DME. Medicare paid approximately $2,685,000 based on the false and fraudulent claims submitted. Scamarone, Mendez, and Vazquez then used shell companies held in the names of friends and relatives to launder fraud proceeds from the DME companies. Scamarone and Vazquez also concealed their involvement by making cash withdrawals from various accounts, including a $50,000 cash withdrawal from an account for Stone Oak. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief Jamie de Boer of the Florida Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski of the Southern District of Florida, with substantial assistance from Trial Attorneys Jessica A. Massey and Claire Horrell of the Florida Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove is handling asset forfeiture. FBI Miami, HHS-OIG, DOL-OIG, and MFCU investigated the case, with support from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and DOL-EBSA. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
In United States v. Erit Estrada Espinosa, Case No. 25-60135-CR-Altonaga, Erit Estrada Espinosa, 52, of Miami, Florida, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and two counts of distributing a controlled substance. The indictment alleges that, between April 2022 and October 2022, the defendant conspired with others to distribute oxycodone. The indictment further alleges that the defendant distributed 160 tablets of 30mg oxycodone on September 23, 2022, and 145 tablets of 30mg oxycodone on October 21, 2022. FBI Miami, HHS-OIG Miami, and DEA Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski is prosecuting it.
In United States v. Sergei Margulian et al., Case No. 25-60144-CR-Smith, Dr. Sergei Margulian, 58, of Hallandale Beach, Florida, and Damary Mendez, 53, of Miami, Florida, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and multiple counts of distributing a controlled substance. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants conspired to distribute at least 2,933,013 pills of oxycodone to patients of two pain clinics located in South Florida, ignoring obvious signs of addiction and drug diversion in these patients. Dr. Margulian, a licensed medical doctor who owned and operated the clinics, prescribed oxycodone to patients without medical need and on dates when he was out of the country and did not see or examine the patients. Mendez, an employee of the clinics, sent Margulian lists that contained patients’ names, dates of birth, and the number of pills of oxycodone to prescribe to them, knowing that Margulian had neither seen nor examined those patients on that date and knowing that Margulian would write electronic prescriptions for oxycodone for them. Approximately $74,000 was seized from the clinics and related bank accounts. FBI Miami and HHS-OIG investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by DOJ Trial Attorney Jacqueline DerOvanesian of the Florida Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
In United States v. Olushola Yusuf et al., Case No. 25-60145-CR -Damian, Olushola Yusuf, 59, and Saman Cala Gimenez, 53, both of Tampa, Florida, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and five counts each of distributing and dispensing a controlled substance in connection with their roles in a scheme to illegally dispense oxycodone through two pharmacies, Boots LLC d/b/a Striderite Pharmacy (“Boots”) and Chans Pharmacy Plus, Inc. (“Chans”). As alleged in the indictment, from in or around April 2021 through in or around October 2024, the defendants, through Boots and Chans, dispensed at least 335,351 pills of oxycodone 30mg, which is highly addictive and dangerous, to patients of Boots and Chans who showed obvious signs of addiction and drug diversion. As alleged in the indictment, Yusuf, a licensed pharmacist who owned and operated Boots and Chans, dispensed oxycodone to nearly all of Boots’ and Chans’ patients without medical need and also dispensed it to patient recruiters, including Gimenez. Gimenez purchased numerous prescriptions for oxycodone from multiple patients to fill at Boots and Chans in order to aggregate the pills. Patients and patient recruiters often paid Boots and Chans in cash even though they had insurance that covered some or all of the cost of prescription medications. DEA, FBI Miami, and HHS-OIG investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by DOJ Trial Attorney Jacqueline DerOvanesian of the Florida Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.
In United States v. Irakli Nakashidze, Case No. 25-03116-MJ-D’Angelo, Irakli Nakashidze, 34, of Miami, Florida, was charged by complaint with money laundering in connection with the submission of approximately $113 million in fraudulent claims for durable medical equipment. As alleged in the complaint, Nakashidze, the owner of ABRH Care Inc., laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars paid by insurers to ABRH for medical equipment and wound dressings that were never actually provided to beneficiaries. HHS-OIG, FBI Miami, and OPM-OIG investigated the case. HSI, USCIS-FDNS, and USMS provided valuable assistance. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Claire Horrell and Angela Benoit of the Florida Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.
In United States v. Christopher Harwood, Case No. 25-60138-CR-Dimitrouleas, Christopher Harwood, 43, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to solicit and receive health care kickbacks, and solicitation and receipt of kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program, in connection with a $46.2 million scheme to generate and sell signed doctors’ orders for medically unnecessary DME and laboratory tests. As alleged in the Indictment, Harwood and his co-conspirators used telemarketing companies to recruit Medicare beneficiaries, and then Harwood arranged for medical providers to sign doctors’ orders for DME and laboratory tests for the beneficiaries regardless of medical necessity, in the absence of a doctor-patient relationship, without a physical examination, and frequently without even speaking to the beneficiary at all. Harwood solicited and received illegal kickbacks and bribes from purported marketers and the owners of DME companies and laboratories for the signed doctors’ orders. Harwood also acquired, managed, and operated multiple DME suppliers and used the doctors’ orders he generated to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare himself. Harwood used a web platform he called TelevisitMD as the nucleus of his operations. HHS-OIG and FBI Miami investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Owen Dunn and Jennifer Burns of the Florida and National Rapid Response Strike Forces. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling asset forfeiture. Trial Attorney Evan Schlom of the Special Matters Unit has provided invaluable assistance.
In United States v. Susan Braddock, Case No. 25-80103-CR-Rosenberg, Susan Braddock, 63, of Fort Worth, Texas, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a $26.4 million Medicare fraud scheme. As alleged in the information, Braddock owned and operated a telemedicine company called Big Easy Bad Dog (“BEBD”), through which she billed Medicare for telemedicine consultations that were medically unnecessary, ineligible for Medicare reimbursement, and not provided as billed. Through BEBD, Braddock also sold doctors’ orders to laboratories for medically unnecessary genetic tests based on the purported telehealth consultations. BEBD and the laboratories submitted approximately $24,666,245 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare as a result of Braddock’s conduct, and Medicare paid approximately $9,581,330 based on these claims. HHS-OIG and FBI Miami investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Reginald Cuyler Jr. and Owen Dunn of the Florida Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Hyman is handling asset forfeiture.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge Jesus Barranco of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Regional Office, and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, worked with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), FBI Miami, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Florida Office of the Attorney General to investigate and prosecute these cases filed during the enforcement period.
The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle, District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle, District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting the cases in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team.
A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with over $14.6 Billion in Alleged FraudRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS — The Justice Department today announced the results of its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.
Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented over $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown.
Today’s Takedown was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The cases were investigated by agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and 12 State Attorneys General Offices.
The Northern District of Mississippi announced one Indictment in this national initiative. Ricky Wayne Quinn and John Anthony Null a/k/a “Andy Null,” both of Corinth, Mississippi, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid for over $700,000 for prescription drugs.
As alleged in the indictment, Quinn and Null, both pharmacists, paid cash to runners in the community who brought them legitimate prescriptions for prescription drugs. Quinn and Null dispensed the prescription drugs to the patients, who provided the unopened prescription drugs to the runners. In exchange for cash, the runners returned the unopened prescription drug products back to Quinn and Null to be restocked in order to be billed to Medicare and Medicaid again. This practice allowed Quinn and Null to bill Medicare and Medicaid numerous times for the same prescription drug products.
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
“As part of making healthcare accessible and affordable to all Americans, HHS will aggressively work with our law enforcement partners to eliminate the pervasive health care fraud that bedeviled this agency under the former administration and drove up costs,” said Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of the Department of Health and Human Services.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton A. Dabbs of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.
The materials related to the announcement of National Health Care Fraud Takedown are available on the Health Care Fraud Unit’s website: https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/2025-national-health-care-fraud-takedown
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with over $14.6 Billion in Alleged FraudRead the Press Release
Largest DOJ Health Care Fraud Takedown in History More than Doubles Prior Record of $6 Billion
Fargo: Today, Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl announced criminal charges against Isaac Osei Afoakwa, 55, of Bismarck, North Dakota in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Medicare. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
Afoakwa was charged by indictment with false statements relating to a health care benefit program, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and aiding and abetting the preparation and presentation of a false and fraudulent tax return. As alleged in the indictment, Afoakwa, as owner and principal of Bismarck Transportation Services, allegedly submitted $100,000 of false and fraudulent claims to North Dakota Medicaid on behalf of Bismarck Transportation Services for non-medical emergency transport services. Afoakwa also fraudulently obtained a Paycheck Protection Program loan, as well as eight Economic Injury Disaster Loans, to which he was not entitled, in the total amount of $1,615,944.
“Today’s record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown sends a crystal-clear message to criminal actors, both foreign and domestic, intent on preying upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers: we will find you, we will prosecute you, and we will hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
The charges announced today by Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in alleged false billings and over 15.6 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. In connection with the Takedown, the Government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets.
The District of North Dakota in particular, worked with the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, and the North Dakota Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Greenley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota.
The following materials related to today’s announcement are available on the Health Care Fraud Unit’s website through these links:
• Graphics and Resources
• Case Descriptions
• Court Documents
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National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with over $14.6 Billion in Alleged FraudRead the Press Release
NEWARK - Today, United States Attorney Alina Habba announced criminal charges and civil settlements against 15 defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and private health insurers. The charges and settlements filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges and settlements filed in the District of New Jersey involve physicians and pharmacies submitting reimbursements for drugs, devices, and tests that patients didn’t need, pharmacies seeking reimbursement for drugs they never sold, and healthcare providers who received kickbacks to drive phony prescriptions.
“My Office, in lockstep with the Department’s nationwide Health Care Fraud Takedown, is cracking down on corrupt physicians, pharmacies, and healthcare providers who exploit Medicare and Medicaid with shameless kickback schemes, unnecessary prescriptions, and phony reimbursements for unneeded drugs, medical devices, and genetic tests – or drugs never even delivered. These predatory schemes prioritize profits over patients, and the District of New Jersey is fiercely committed to rooting out this fraud and ensuring those responsible face justice.”
- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Habba are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.
The following individuals were charged and entered settlements in the District of New Jersey:
- Alan Vaughan, 56, of the United Kingdom, was charged with conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback statute in connection with a scheme to generate referrals for durable medical equipment and cancer genetic tests. As alleged in the indictment, Vaughan paid kickbacks to several marketers in exchange for personal health and insurance information about Medicare beneficiaries, transmitted that information to telemedicine companies, and then received kickbacks from genetic testing laboratories and durable medical equipment supply companies for each item of durable medical equipment and/or each cancer genetic test for which Medicare provided reimbursement. As further alleged, to conceal the scheme, Vaughan and his co-conspirators received millions of dollars in kickbacks through a shell company in New Zealand. As a result of the alleged scheme, Vaughan and his co-conspirators caused a loss to Medicare of more than $80 million. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett J. Schuman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
- Taejin Kim, 43, of River Vale, New Jersey, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to submit false and fraudulent claims to Amtrak’s health care plan for services that were never provided and were medically unnecessary. As alleged in the information, Kim, a licensed physical therapist, participated in a conspiracy to use Amtrak employees’ insurance information to submit false and fraudulent claims for services that were medically unnecessary and never provided to the Amtrak employees. Amtrak paid approximately $2,253,453 on these claims. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica R. Ecker and Katie M. Romano of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
- Nestor E. Jaime, 36, of Pine Brook, New Jersey, was charged by indictment with health care fraud in connection with a scheme to submit fraudulent prescription drug claims to Medicare. As alleged in the indictment, Jaime, a pharmacy owner, engaged in a scheme to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare for a high-reimbursement medication that the pharmacy never dispensed and for which the pharmacy never received any prescriptions from the purported beneficiaries’ health care providers for the medication. Medicare paid Jaime’s pharmacy $2,505,754 for these false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Ecker of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
- Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (“NBIMC”), located in Newark, New Jersey, has agreed to pay the United States $250,000 to resolve allegations that from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2019, doctors working in NBIMC’s Heart Transplant Program failed to adequately disclose to patients and their family members material medical information about patients’ conditions. The United States contends that this conduct resulted in NBIMC performing medically unnecessary treatment on these patients. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Toll of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
- Excel Pharmacy Inc., located in Jersey City, New Jersey, agreed to pay the United States and the State of New Jersey $3,000,000 to resolve allegations that from January 2, 2015, through January 25, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kruti Dharia and Robert Toll of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
- QuickRx LLC, an entity affiliated with Community Pharmacy, located in Elizabeth, New Jersey, agreed to pay the United States and the State of New Jersey $962,821 to resolve allegations that from January 7, 2015, through January 24, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kruti Dharia and Robert Toll of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
- Raghu Ram Inc. d/b/a Camden Discount Pharmacy, located in Camden, New Jersey, agreed to pay the United States and the State of New Jersey $310,000 to resolve allegations that from January 2, 2015, through January 24, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kruti Dharia and Robert Toll of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
- Rachit Drug Inc., located in Newark, New Jersey, has agreed to pay the United States and the State of New Jersey $225,000 to resolve allegations that, from January 2, 2015, through January 25, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kruti Dharia and Robert Toll of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
- Premier Dental Holdings, Inc. d/b/a Sonrava Health, Element Dental Partners Holdco, LLC, Element Dental Partners, LLC, Mid-Atlantic Dental Services Holdings LLC, and The Jersey Dental Group have agreed to pay the United States and the State of New Jersey $540,000 to resolve allegations that from January 1, 2021 through July 31, 2023, it submitted or caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program (“NJ FamilyCare”) for: (a) services that were performed by providers who were not credentialed with NJ FamilyCare or the applicable managed care organization, but billed for by using the National Provider Identifiers of dentists who did not perform the services but had the necessary credentials; or (b) services that were performed and billed by uncredentialed providers at the time the service was rendered. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Toll of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
“The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said HHS-OIG Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.”
“Today’s announcement provides insight into the complex and costly nature of the health care fraud threat. More importantly, this coordinated effort highlights the professionalism of the FBI and our partners to find, expose and hold accountable those practitioners, business owners and facilitators who took advantage of our system for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy.
“Today’s actions represent the sheer dedication, professionalism, and commitment of our agents, joint partners, and U.S. Attorneys in holding accountable those who put greed ahead of patient care and basic ethics,” said Mike Waters, Special Agent In Charge of Amtrak’s Northeast Region. “We hope these actions serve as a deterrent for health care providers and others who choose to engage in such schemes, and we ask anyone who suspects or observes such fraud to report it to our fraud, waste, and abuse hotline.”
The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle, District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle, District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting the cases in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.
The District of New Jersey, in particular, worked with the Department’s Criminal and Civil Division and the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); FBI; and Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General.
A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with over $14.6 Billion in Alleged FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – The Justice Department today announced the results of its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
In the Middle District of Florida, United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced the filing of criminal charges in 13 cases involving 19 individuals in connection with alleged schemes to defraud programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled, and to obtain controlled substances through fraud.
“Millions of Americans rely on the ethical and lawful practices of healthcare professionals and providers to deliver critical services to patients every day,” said U.S. Attorney Kehoe. “When criminals exploit our federal healthcare programs and betray the trust of their beneficiaries, the integrity of our systems are compromised. Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ferret out these criminals and bring them to justice.”
The following individuals have been charged in Middle District of Florida:
- William Balsamo (65, Spring Hill) was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive health care kickbacks in connection with a scheme to provide doctors’ orders to pharmacies, durable medical equipment (“DME”) companies, and laboratories in exchange for kickbacks, which led to at least $9 million in losses to Medicare. As alleged in the information, Balsamo was the Chief Financial Officer of Call MD Plus, a telemedicine company that purported to offer software that enabled pharmacies, DME companies, and laboratories to connect their patients with telemedicine doctors who performed consultations. Call MD Plus allegedly obtained signed doctors’ orders by paying kickbacks to companies that had relationships with telemedicine doctors, and then sold the orders to the pharmacies, DMEs, and laboratories (sometimes through intermediary marketers and resellers), in exchange for kickbacks. The orders were then used to bill for medically unnecessary prescriptions and other items. The case is being prosecuted by Acting Assistant Chief Gary A. Winters of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Mesrobian.
- Edward Cannatelli (60, Parkland), Robbyn Cannatelli (68, Parkland), Thomas Farese (82, Fort Lauderdale), and Virginia Lockett (55, Margate) were charged for their roles in a conspiracy to defraud the Medicare program, make false statements relating to health care matters, and offer and pay illegal kickbacks and bribes. They are also charged in a second conspiracy to commit wire and health care fraud and with related substantive counts concerning the falsification of records in the federal investigation leading to the indictment. The four charged, along with other conspirators, generated medically unnecessary physicians’ orders via a telemarketing operation for DME. Through the telemarketing operation, federal health care program beneficiaries’ personal identifying information and other health-related information was harvested to begin forming DME brace orders. The information related to the emerging brace orders was then transmitted to purported “telemedicine” vendors that, in exchange for a fee, paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to physicians who signed the orders, often without ever contacting the beneficiaries to conduct the required telehealth consultations. The fraudulent brace orders were then returned to the conspirators, who used the orders as support for bogus DME claims submitted to Medicare. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jay G. Trezevant and Tiffany E. Fields.
- Greisys Cuellar Hernandez (41, Tampa) was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud for contributing to the filing of fraudulent insurance claims for staged traffic crashes resulting in multiple payouts by insurance companies to a physical rehabilitation clinic in Tampa. Cuellar Hernandez worked at the clinic and was involved in recruiting individuals to seek treatment after staging traffic crashes. Cuellar Hernandez was paid approximately $52,000 for her role in the conspiracy. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields.
- Alexis Del Sol Perez (48, Spring Hill) and Carlos Del Sol (30, Tampa) were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their roles in submitting fraudulent insurance claims for staged traffic crashes. Del Sol was also charged with wire fraud for causing the transmission of fraudulently obtained insurance funds. Del Sol Perez was the owner of a physical rehabilitation clinic in Tampa and recruited individuals to participate in staged traffic crashes and seek medical attention at his clinic. Del Sol worked at the clinic and assisted patients from staged car accidents with completing insurance paperwork containing false statements. Additionally, Del Sol was responsible for making cash payouts to individuals involved in the staged traffic crashes. As a result of this scheme, the defendants and co-conspirators obtained at least $4.7 million in fraudulently obtained proceeds from the offenses. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields.
- Patrick Michael Flint (43, Coconut Creek) pleaded guilty to conspiring to solicit and receive kickbacks for referring Medicare beneficiaries for COVID-19 tests and to purchase and sell Medicare beneficiary identification numbers. According to court documents, Flint obtained identifying information from Medicare beneficiaries for the purpose of sending them COVID-19 tests that they had not otherwise requested. He then sold the identifying information to medical providers for the purpose of shipping the COVID-19 tests to the beneficiaries and billing Medicare for the tests. Flint’s actions caused the submission of approximately 84,600 fraudulent claims to Medicare, which resulted in reimbursements totaling approximately $7.9 million. As part of his plea, Flint agreed to forfeit to the government a total of $1,266,025 of proceeds that he obtained during the scheme. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
- Michelle Forsythe (61, Ocala) was charged with 14 counts of wire fraud and 1 count of aggravated identity theft in connection with using the names and insurance policy information of 22 individuals without their knowledge or consent to overbill health insurance companies. The fraudulent overbillings resulted in a loss of at least $483,000. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Watson.
- Leo Joseph Govoni (67, Clearwater) and John Leo Witeck (60, Tampa) were charged by indictment for their roles in a conspiracy to solicit, steal, and misappropriate beneficiary funds from clients of the Center for Special Needs Trust Administration (CSNT). CSNT was a non-profit that managed funds for individuals with disabilities and other special needs, including those who received court awards, settlements, and other payments. As of February 2024, the indictment alleges, CSNT managed more than 2,100 special needs trusts containing approximately $200 million. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Peresie and Trial Attorney Lyndie Freeman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
- Lauren Hornbuckle (36, Seminole) was charged with one count of tampering with a consumer product in connection with her unlawfully acquiring and tampering with morphine at a hospital. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Pizzo.
- Paula Pirone (68, Ocala) and Sophie Dufort (56, Gainesville) were charged with various counts of conspiracy, health care fraud, and paying kickbacks in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare over $8.6 million for medically unnecessary orthotic braces. According to the indictment, Pirone and Dufort owned and operated DME companies that offered and paid illegal kickbacks to their co-conspirators in exchange for signed doctors’ orders for medically unnecessary DME that were then billed to Medicare. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jody King of the Florida Strike Force.
- Ricardo Ramos (49, Tampa) was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering for his role in conducting financial transactions involving proceeds of mail fraud. Ramos was a chiropractor at a physical rehabilitation clinic in Tampa. His co-conspirators recruited individuals to stage traffic accidents, file false police reports related to the staged traffic crashes, and then seek treatment at the clinic where Ramos worked. Ramos performed evaluations on the recruited individuals and directed them to report high levels of pain in order to diagnose purported injuries and prescribe future treatments. In some instances, no evaluations were performed and Ramos still generated diagnoses to facilitate the filing of fraudulent insurance claims. Ramos also completed medical forms with prescriptions for DME based on the fake injuries. These false claims were submitted to insurance companies and resulted in the insurance companies sending payments to the clinic where Ramos worked. These funds were then used to compensate Ramos and the recruited individuals for their roles in the scheme. As a result of the conspiracy, Ramos obtained approximately $169,000. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields.
- Chad Monroe (47,Tarpon Springs) was charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and mail fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and to offer, pay, solicit, and receive health care kickbacks, violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans, and TRICARE for more than $28 million for orthotic braces and to receive approximately $15 million in illegal kickbacks and bribes related to genetic testing. As alleged in the indictment, Monroe owned several DME companies that purchased doctors’ orders for braces. Monroe was also a marketer who generated and sold doctors’ orders for genetic testing. He also is charged for submitting a false Economic Injury Disaster loan application and aiding and abetting in the submission of a false Paycheck Protection Program loan. Previously, a boat purchased for over $600,000 and more than $1 million from an investment account were seized. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Catherine Wagner and Trial Attorney D. Keith Clouser of the National Rapid Response Strike Force.
- Anagha Onuoha a/k/a “Frank Emeka,” (61, St. Petersburg) was charged for making a false statement in a passport application and theft of government funds. According to the indictment, Onuoha, a Nigerian citizen living in the United States, obtained two Social Security numbers by fraudulently claiming to be a United States citizen. Using these Social Security numbers, Onuoha applied for, and received, benefits from the United States to which he was not entitled. As part of his scheme, Onuoha obtained more than $2.2 million in Social Security Disability Insurance benefits and Medicare benefits. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Schmidt and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Del Mastro.
- Eric Strom Holland (55, Fort Myers) was charged with wire fraud and distributing and dispensing controlled substances in connection with an alleged scheme to deceive doctors into writing controlled substance prescriptions based on false pretenses. As alleged in the complaint, Holland recruited unwitting doctors for his all-virtual pain clinic using a series of lies designed to induce them to work for him and to prescribe controlled substances, including oxycodone. These lies included that the pain clinic had a physical location (when in fact all operations during the pertinent periods were purely virtual), that patients were being physically examined by medical practitioners, such as nurse practitioners, before doctors were asked to prescribe, that there were long-term doctors with whom the patients had a standing relationship and that the temporary doctors were just refilling prescriptions as part of an established regimen of care, and that safeguards to prevent against drug abuse, such as urine screens, were being used. Holland’s scheme resulted in the improper dispensing of more than 103,000 oxycodone pills. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Winter.
An information or indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
The MDFL has worked with the Department’s Criminal Division and the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute these cases, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General, and Homeland Security Investigations.
The following materials related to today’s announcement are available on the Health Care Fraud Unit’s website through these links:
- Graphics and Resources
- Case Descriptions
- Court Documents
- National Press Release
National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with over $14.6 Billion in Alleged FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department today announced the results of its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.
Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented over $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown.
Today’s Takedown was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The cases were investigated by agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and 12 State Attorneys General Offices.
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
"As part of making healthcare accessible and affordable to all Americans, HHS will aggressively work with our law enforcement partners to eliminate the pervasive health care fraud that bedeviled this agency under the former administration and drove up costs,” said Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of the Department of Health and Human Services.
“The Criminal Division is intensely committed to rooting out health care fraud schemes and prosecuting the criminals who perpetrate them because these schemes: (1) often result in physical patient harm through medically unnecessary treatments or failure to provide the correct treatments; (2) contribute to our nationwide opioid epidemic and exacerbate controlled substance addiction; and (3) do all of that while stealing money hardworking Americans contribute to pay for the care of their elders and other vulnerable citizens,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices stand united with our law enforcement partners in this fight, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the integrity of our health care programs for the American people.”
“Health care fraud drains critical resources from programs intended to help people who truly need medical care,” said Director Kash Patel of the FBI. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to pursuing those who exploit the system for personal gain. With more than $13 billion in fraud uncovered, this is the largest takedown for this initiative to date. Together, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold those accountable who steal from the American people and undermine our health care systems.”
Transnational Criminal Organizations
29 defendants were charged for their roles in transnational criminal organizations alleged to have submitted over $12 billion in fraudulent claims to America’s health insurance programs.
For instance, a nationwide investigation known as Operation Gold Rush resulted in the largest loss amount ever charged in a health care fraud case brought by the Department. These charges were announced in the Eastern District of New York, the Northern District of Illinois, the Central District of California, the Middle District of Florida, and the District of New Jersey against 19 defendants. Twelve of these defendants have been arrested, including four defendants who were apprehended in Estonia as a result of international cooperation with Estonian law enforcement and seven defendants who were arrested at U.S. airports and the U.S. border with Mexico, cutting off their intended escape routes as they attempted to avoid capture.
The organization allegedly used a network of foreign straw owners, including individuals sent into the United States from abroad, who, acting at the direction of others using encrypted messaging and assumed identities from overseas, strategically bought dozens of medical supply companies located across the United States. They then rapidly submitted $10.6 billion in fraudulent health care claims to Medicare for urinary catheters and other durable medical equipment by exploiting the stolen identities of over one million Americans spanning all 50 states and using their confidential medical information to submit the fraudulent claims. As alleged, the organization exploited the U.S. financial system by laundering the fraudulent proceeds and deploying a range of tactics to circumvent anti-money laundering controls to transfer funds into cryptocurrency and shell companies located abroad. The arrests announced today also include a banker who facilitated the money laundering of fraud proceeds on behalf of the organization through a U.S.-based bank.
The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team and its partners detected the anomalous billing through proactive data analytics, and HHS-OIG and CMS successfully prevented the organization from receiving all but approximately $41 million of the approximately $4.45 billion that was scheduled to be paid by Medicare. HHS and CMS intend to seek to return the $4.41 billion in escrow to the Medicare trust fund for needed medical care. The scheme nonetheless resulted in payments of approximately $900 million from Medicare supplemental insurers. To date, law enforcement has seized approximately $27.7 million in fraud proceeds as part of Operation Gold Rush.
In another action involving foreign influence, charges were filed in the Northern District of Illinois against five defendants, including two owners and executives of Pakistani marketing organizations, in connection with a $703 million scheme in which Medicare beneficiaries’ identification numbers and other confidential health information were allegedly obtained through theft and deceptive marketing. The defendants allegedly used artificial intelligence to create fake recordings of Medicare beneficiaries purportedly consenting to receive certain products. According to court documents, the beneficiaries’ confidential information was then illegally sold to laboratories and durable medical equipment companies, which used this unlawfully obtained and fraudulently generated data to submit false claims to Medicare. Certain defendants controlled dozens of nominee-owned durable medical equipment companies and laboratories that allegedly submitted fraudulent claims for products and services the beneficiaries did not request, need, or receive. Certain defendants also allegedly conspired to conceal and launder the fraud proceeds from bank accounts they controlled in the United States to bank accounts overseas. In total, the defendants caused approximately $703 million in alleged fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, which paid approximately $418 million on those claims. The government seized approximately $44.7 million from various bank accounts related to this case.
Finally, a defendant based in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates who owned a billing company allegedly orchestrated a scheme to prey upon vulnerable individuals in need of addiction treatment by conspiring with treatment center owners to fraudulently bill Arizona Medicaid approximately $650 million for substance abuse treatment services. According to court documents, some of the services billed were never provided, while other services were provided at a level that was so substandard that it failed to serve any treatment purpose. As part of the conspiracy, treatment center owners allegedly paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for the referral of patients recruited from the homeless population and Native American reservations. The defendant received at least $25 million of ill-gotten Arizona Medicaid funds as a result of the conspiracy and is charged with a money laundering offense for his alleged use of those funds to purchase a $2.9 million home located on a golf estate in Dubai.
Fraudulent Wound Care
Charges were filed in the District of Arizona and the District of Nevada against seven defendants, including five medical professionals, in connection with approximately $1.1 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare and other health care benefit programs for amniotic wound allografts. As alleged, certain defendants targeted vulnerable elderly patients, many of whom were receiving hospice care, and applied medically unnecessary amniotic allografts to these patients’ wounds. Many of the allografts allegedly were applied without coordination with the patients’ treating physicians, without proper treatment for infection, to superficial wounds that did not need this treatment, and to areas that far exceeded the size of the wound. Certain defendants allegedly received millions in illegal kickbacks from the fraudulent billing scheme.
“Today's unprecedented enforcement action demonstrates that CMS and our federal partners are united in our mission to protect the integrity of Medicare and Medicaid by crushing waste, fraud, and abuse," said Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz of CMS. "Every dollar we prevent from going to fraudsters is a dollar that stays in the system to serve legitimate beneficiaries. Through advanced data analytics, real-time monitoring, and swift administrative action, CMS is leading the fight to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and the trust Americans place in these vital programs. We're not waiting for fraud to happen—we're stopping it before it starts."
Prescription Opioid Trafficking
74 defendants, including 44 licensed medical professionals, were charged across 58 cases in connection with the alleged illegal diversion of over 15 million pills of prescription opioids and other controlled substances. For example, five defendants associated with one Texas pharmacy were charged with the unlawful distribution of over 3 million opioid pills. As alleged, the defendants conspired to distribute massive quantities of oxycodone, hydrocodone, and carisoprodol, which were subsequently trafficked by street-level drug dealers, generating large profits for the defendants. This coordinated action is a continuation of the Health Care Fraud Unit’s systematic approach to stopping drug trafficking organizations and their pharmaceutical wholesale suppliers, which together have fueled an epidemic of prescription opioid abuse for nearly a decade.
DEA also announced today that in the last six months, DEA charged 93 administrative cases seeking the revocation of pharmacies, medical practitioners, and companies authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances.
“Health care fraud isn’t just theft — it’s trafficking in trust. Today’s announcement shows that when doctors become drug dealers and treatment centers become profit-driven fraud rings, DEA will act,” said Acting Administrator Robert Murphy of the DEA. “We’re targeting the entire ecosystem of fraud — from pill mills in Texas to kickback clinics exploiting Native communities. If you abuse your medical license to push poison or pad your pockets, we will hold you accountable.”
Telemedicine and Genetic Testing Fraud
In today’s Takedown, 49 defendants were charged in connection with the submission of over $1.17 billion in allegedly fraudulent claims to Medicare resulting from telemedicine and genetic testing fraud schemes. For example, in the Southern District of Florida, prosecutors charged an owner of telemedicine and durable medical equipment companies with a $46 million scheme in which Medicare beneficiaries were allegedly targeted through deceptive telemarketing campaigns and then fraudulent claims were submitted to Medicare for durable medical equipment and genetic tests for these beneficiaries. The Department continues to focus on eliminating health care fraud schemes that depend on telemedicine, including schemes involving fraudulent claims for genetic testing, durable medical equipment, and COVID-19 tests.
Other Health Care Fraud Schemes
The other cases announced today charge an additional 170 defendants with various other health care fraud schemes involving over $1.84 billion in allegedly false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies for diagnostic testing, medical visits, and treatments that were medically unnecessary, provided in connection with kickbacks and bribes, or never provided at all. For example, in the Western District of Tennessee, prosecutors charged three defendants, including business owners and a pharmacist, with a $28.7 million scheme to defraud the Federal Employees’ Compensation Fund by allegedly billing for medications for injured United States Postal Service employees that were never prescribed by a licensed practitioner and largely were not dispensed as claimed. And in the Western District of Washington and the Northern District of California, prosecutors charged medical providers with allegedly stealing fentanyl and hydrocodone, respectively, that was meant for the providers’ patients, including child patients in need of anesthesia.
“VA’s Integrated Veteran Care Programs provide critical community-based health care to our nation’s disabled veterans and their dependents,” said Acting Inspector General David Case of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG). “Robust oversight of VA’s health care system is one of VA-OIG’s highest priorities. VA-OIG is committed to holding accountable those who defraud government benefits programs intended to care for our nation’s heroes.”
Breaking Down Silos in the Fight Against Health Care Fraud
In connection with the coordinated nationwide law enforcement operation, the Department is announcing that it is working closely with HHS-OIG, FBI, and other agencies to create a Health Care Fraud Data Fusion Center to bring together experts from the Department’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section, Health Care Fraud Unit Data Analytics Team; HHS-OIG; FBI; and other agencies to leverage cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics to identify emerging health care fraud schemes. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team was established in 2018 to enhance the Unit’s ability to detect, investigate, and prosecute complex health care fraud schemes. Joining forces with data analysts from HHS-OIG, FBI, and other partners will increase efficiency, detection, and rapid prosecution of emerging health care fraud schemes. It will also implement the President’s Executive Order Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos (Exec. Order No. 14243, 3 C.F.R. 294 (2025)) by reducing duplicative data teams, increasing operational efficiency through a whole-of-government approach, and leveraging cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and other agency resources.
Principal Assistant Deputy Chief Jacob Foster, Assistant Deputy Chief Rebecca Yuan, Trial Attorney Miriam L. Glaser Dauermann, and Data Analyst Elizabeth Nolte, all of the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, led and coordinated this year’s Takedown. The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorneys General’s Offices for California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team used cutting-edge data analytics to identify and support the investigations that led to these charges.
In addition to FBI, HHS-OIG, DEA, and CMS, HSI, VA-OIG, IRS Criminal Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Labor, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies participated in the operation. The Medicaid Fraud Control Units of California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin also participated in the investigation of many of the federal and state cases announced today.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Forces. Prior to the charges announced as part of today’s nationwide Takedown and since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which operates in 27 districts, charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively billed Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers more than $27 billion.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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The following materials related to today’s announcement are available on the Health Care Fraud Unit’s website through these links:
• Graphics and Resources
• Case Descriptions
• Court Documents
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National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action Results in 324 Defendants Charged and over $14.6 Billion in Intended Fraud Loss ChargedRead the Press Release
DETROIT - Today, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced criminal charges and civil resolutions in three cases in connection with alleged schemes to unlawfully distribute controlled substances and defraud federal health care programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. The charges were filed in federal court and are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action. The criminal charges stem from the sale of controlled substance prescriptions in exchange for cash. The civil cases resolve alleged violations of the False Claims Act by several health care providers.
“Today’s record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown sends a crystal-clear message to criminal actors, both foreign and domestic, intent on preying upon our most vulnerable citizens and stealing from hardworking American taxpayers: we will find you; we will prosecute you, and we will hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
All the cases are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in intended loss and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. The United States has seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets in connection with the takedown.
The criminal defendants charged in the Eastern District of Michigan were involved in a conspiracy to unlawfully distribute over 1.9 million commonly diverted controlled substance prescriptions for Oxycodone, Percocet, and Norco. The civil resolutions target $6 million in fraud on Medicare and Medicaid, returning much of those funds to the impacted federal programs.
The Eastern District of Michigan, in particular, worked with the Department’s Criminal Division, Civil Frauds, and the following law enforcement organizations to investigate, prosecute, and resolve the cases included as part of the Department’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and FBI.
In addition, the Fraud Section’s Midwest Strike Force charged four defendants in the Eastern District of Michigan. In particular, law enforcement and prosecutors in the Eastern District of Michigan were involved in Operation Gold Rush, which targeted the attempt by foreign actors to steal more than $10 billion from the Medicare program. Click on the following link for more information about the charged cases: https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit/2025-national-hcf-case-summaries
United States Attorney Gorgon said, “We are proud to partner with the Fraud Section Healthcare Fraud Strike Force to protect patients and preserve the integrity of our healthcare system. This collaboration strengthens our ability to identify and stop fraudulent activity so that resources are used to support care for Americans—not exploitation. Healthcare fraud will not be tolerated.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office charged and resolved the following matters:
Usman Ahmad, R.Ph. 66 of Lake, Orion, Michigan; Durand Bynum, 46 of Canton, Michigan; Ebony Daniels, 33 of Eastpointe, Michigan; and Allen Satawhite, 37 of Detroit, were charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances in connection with their roles in an unlawful scheme to distribute Schedule II controlled substances Oxycodone, Oxycodone-Acetaminophen (Percocet); and Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen (Norco). As alleged in the indictment, the owner of P & A Aftercare, located in Southfield, Michigan, hired several doctors to issue controlled substance prescriptions for a cadre of “fake” patients, without medical necessity and outside the scope of professional medical practice, in exchange for cash payments. The “fake” patients were recruited by Bynum, Daniels, Satawhite and others. Ahmad owned and operated Detroit Hoover Pharmacy, in Detroit, Michigan. He used the pharmacy to engage in a scheme and pattern of illegal conduct involving the unlawful distribution of prescription drug-controlled substances issued by the doctors at P & A Aftercare. Specifically, Ahmad distributed prescription drugs from the pharmacy illegally, outside the course of usual professional pharmacy practice and for no legitimate medical purpose. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys for the Eastern District of Michigan Regina R. McCullough and Philip A. Ross.
"The indictment of four individuals for their alleged roles in conspiracy to illegally distribute prescription drugs reflects the FBI's unyielding efforts to investigate and disrupt those who violate federal law," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "Exploiting the well-being of our community and the healthcare system for personal gain will not be tolerated. The alleged actions betray public trust and divert critical resources. I also want to thank the members from our FBI Detroit Field Office and federal partners at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General for their continued work to uncover and dismantle these illegal schemes."
“The illegal prescribing and distribution of controlled substances—particularly opioids—by health care professionals puts the health and safety of our communities at serious risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to collaborate closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute these egregious allegations.”
Villa Financial Services LLC, Villa Olympia Investment LLC, and six southeast Michigan Villa nursing homes – The Ambassador, Father Murray, Imperial, Regency, St. Joseph’s and Westland – have agreed to pay the United States and the State of Michigan a total of $4,500,000, to resolve a civil qui tam lawsuit alleging that they violated the False Claims Act by systematically failing to provide services to nursing home residents and/or providing materially and grossly substandard services to nursing home residents. Among other things, the United States alleged that the facilities failed to have a sufficient number of appropriately trained staff possessing satisfactory skill levels to adequately care for the residents. The United States also alleged that the facilities failed to take adequate measures to prevent, control, and provide care related to infections. In addition, the United States alleged that the facilities failed to take adequate measures to prevent and follow appropriate protocols related to resident falls. In connection with the settlement, Villa Financial Services LLC, Villa Olympia Investment LLC, and the six nursing homes will enter into a five-year quality-of-care Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with HHS-OIG. Under the CIA, the settling companies are required to retain an independent quality monitor to review the companies’ delivery of care and evaluate their ability to prevent, detect, and respond to patient care problems. The case is being jointly prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Wizner of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan and Trial Attorney Kelly McAuliffe of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Commercial Litigation Branch - Fraud Section, in coordination with the Michigan Department of Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Division.
Wahid Makki, 62, and his spouse, Zainab (aka Zeinab) Makki, 62, of Dearborn Heights, together with the two pharmacies they operated, Kirtland Corp. aka New Millennium Drugs and Western Wayne Pharmacy, LLC, have agreed to pay the United States and the State of Michigan $1,500,000 to resolve a civil qui tam lawsuit alleging that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the Medicare and Medicaid Programs for prescription drugs that New Millenium Drugs and Western Wayne Pharmacy billed to the Programs, but never dispensed. In addition, Wahid Makki has agreed to his exclusion from the Medicare, Medicaid, and all other federal health care programs for 10 years. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Wizner of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, in coordination with the Michigan Department of Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Division.
The investigation, prosecution and resolution of these matters illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The claims resolved by the civil settlements are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with over $14.6 Billion in Alleged FraudRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis announced criminal charges against two defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud government benefit programs. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
“We are taking significant strides in our ongoing battle against health care fraud within the Middle District of Louisiana. These fraudulent activities not only undermine the integrity of our health care system, but also jeopardize the well-being of countless patients who rely on these essential services, stated Acting U.S. Attorney Travis. “Our office is committed to holding accountable those who seek to exploit vulnerable individuals for personal gain. This takedown is a testament to the dedication and collaboration of law enforcement partners, and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure justice is served and integrity is restored in our health care system.”
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
The charges announced today by Acting U.S. Attorney Ellison C. Travis are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in alleged false billings and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets, and the Government, in connection with the Takedown, seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets.
The following individuals were charged in the Middle District of Louisiana:
- Cody Hulbert, 41, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and theft of government funds in connection with a scheme to submit fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program, and unemployment insurance applications. As alleged in the indictment, Hulbert and her co-conspirators fraudulently obtained at least approximately $51,474 from the fraudulent PPP applications, sought at least approximately $12,391 from at least one fraudulent EIDL application, and obtained at least approximately $5,654 in unemployment insurance benefits.
- Britney McCoy, 31, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was charged by indictment with one count of wire fraud and one count of making false statements in a loan and credit application in connection with a fraudulent PPP scheme. As alleged in the indictment, McCoy submitted and caused to be submitted false and fraudulent loan applications and other documents to lenders and others to obtain funds and loan forgiveness through the PPP. In total, McCoy fraudulently sought and obtained at least approximately $22,884 in PPP funds based on the false and fraudulent applications.
“The scale of today’s takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said HHS-OIG Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.”
“These charges, stemming from the meticulous work of DEA’s Baton Rouge District Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Louisiana, highlight our unwavering commitment to holding accountable those who illegally divert controlled substances,” said DEA New Orleans Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Arnett. “We stand united with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities and ensure justice for those who exploit programs designed for the most vulnerable.”
The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle, District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle, District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting the cases in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available at https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/2025-national-health-care-fraud-takedown
The Middle District of Louisiana, in particular, worked with the Department’s Criminal Division and the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen L. Craig of the Middle District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Gary A. Crosby II of the Gulf Coast Strike Force.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Multiple Eastern North Carolina Healthcare Professionals Charged in Connection with 2025 National Healthcare Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Today, Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar announced criminal charges against five individuals and one company, in connection with alleged schemes to defraud and abuse the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and other insurance carriers. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges stem from Medicaid kickbacks to patients in exchange for attending substance abuse services, and from false and fraudulent billings to Medicare for durable medical equipment.
“Fraud against our healthcare system is not a victimless crime – it threatens patient care, burdens taxpayers, and undermines trust in critical programs,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “Today’s charges demonstrate our offices resolve to pursue those who attempt to profit by violating federal law and jeopardizing public resources. We will continue to work with our federal and state law enforcement partners to ensure accountability.”
“Today’s record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown sends a crystal-clear message to criminal actors, both foreign and domestic, intent on preying upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers: we will find you, we will prosecute you, and we will hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
All the cases are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in intended loss and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. The United States has seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles and other assets in connection with the takedown.
The following individuals have been charged in the Eastern District of North Carolina:
Kimberly Mable Sims (a lab company owner), Francine Sims Super (an office manager), and Keke Komeko Johnson (a compliance officer), were charged by information in connection with the payment of more than $1 million in illegal remunerations in the form of gift cards to patients of Life Touch, LLC (“Life Touch”), a North Carolina substance abuse treatment company, and in connection with false statements to Medicaid auditors regarding the same. The inducements resulted in more than $25 million in payments from Medicaid to Life Touch. As alleged, over four years, Life Touch, through its compliance officer and managers, routinely paid patients based upon the number of days per week that they received services. Life Touch staff also received kickbacks from a lab company that it utilized for drug testing services. The charging documents further allege that Medicaid auditors were deceived regarding these ongoing practices at Life Touch and the lab company. In addition, Super and Johnson were each charged with failure to file a tax return. Life Touch and Brandon Eugene Sims were previously charged in this case. More than $6 million in assets in the form of cash, real estate and other assets haven been seized. The cases are being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tasha Gardner, and Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Gilmore of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Randal Fenton Wood, 56, of Flagler Beach, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare, the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA), and other insurance programs for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (“DME”). As alleged in the information, Wood and others partnered with purported marketing entities which solicited Medicare beneficiaries to accept durable medical equipment, such as braces and pneumatic compression devices, by illegally waiving copays and pressuring beneficiaries to accept the equipment without verifying that the equipment was medically necessary. The marketing entities sold the beneficiary information and the prefilled orders to Wood and other DME supply companies, who developed and implemented a “doctor chase” model to pressure physicians into signing or altering orders so that they could be billed in full. The DME supply companies owned by or affiliated with Wood received over $39 million in reimbursement from Medicare for DME ordered through this scheme. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Beraka of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
In addition to the foregoing cases, which were a part of the National Enforcement Action, Acting United States Attorney Bubar today also announces the convictions of the following healthcare and mental health practitioners in connection with an investigation into billing and documentation practices by Medicaid mental health providers Our Treatment Center and Partners Against Sexually Transmitted Diseases, which operated in Raleigh, North Carolina:
Dawn Marie Meacham, 61, of Raleigh, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) pled guilty to Conspiracy to Make and Use Materially False Writings and Documents Relating to Health Care Matters, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. At sentencing, which remains pending, Meacham faces up to 5 years of imprisonment on the charge.
Kim Jones Kelly, 68, of Greenville, a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist (LCAS) pled guilty to Conspiracy to Make and Use Materially False Writings and Documents Relating to Health Care Matters, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. At sentencing, which remains pending, Kelly faces up to 5 years of imprisonment on the charge.
Pius Ondachi, 54, of Raleigh, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) pled guilty to Making and Using Materially False Writings and Documents Relating to Health Care Matters, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1035(a)(2). At sentencing, which remains pending, Ondachi faces up to 5 years of imprisonment on the charge.
Tequila Vinson Bogan, 48, of Smithfield, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) pled guilty to Conspiracy to Make and Use Materially False Writings and Documents Relating to Health Care Matters, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. At sentencing, which remains pending, Bogan faces up to 5 years of imprisonment on the charge.
Ifeoma Ezugwu, 56, of Raleigh, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate (LCSWA) pled guilty to Making and Using Materially False Writings and Documents Relating to Health Care Matters, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1035(a)(2). At sentencing, which remains pending, Ezugwu faces up to 5 years of imprisonment on the charge.
Queensly Onuzulike, 49, of Raleigh, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) pled guilty to Conspiracy to Make and Use Materially False Writings and Documents Relating to Health Care Matters, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. At sentencing, which remains pending, Onuzulike faces up to 5 years of imprisonment on the charge.
Tamika Rochaelle Autry, 29, of Wilson, a Certified Peer Support Specialist and Qualified Practitioner, pled guilty to Making and Using Materially False Writings and Documents Relating to Health Care Matters, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1035(a)(2). At sentencing, which remains pending, Autry faces up to 5 years of imprisonment on the charge.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Tasha C. Gardner, of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, and the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office – Medicaid Investigations Division, serves as prosecutor on each of these cases.
“Individuals and entities that participate in federal healthcare programs are expected to obey the laws meant to preserve the integrity of program funds,” said Kelly J. Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of Medicare and Medicaid fraud.”
“Healthcare fraud isn’t a crime that only exists on paper. These schemes drain taxpayer-funded government programs designed to assist citizens who may not otherwise be able to afford healthcare. The FBI and our partners work tirelessly to stop people from defrauding the government, protect the integrity of the programs for those who truly need it, and bring offenders to justice,” said FBI Charlotte Acting Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr.
“We remain committed to uncovering misconduct in use of healthcare funds and holding offenders accountable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard Gaskins, Charlotte Field Office, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. “Our special agents will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to pursue individuals who try to exploit federal relief programs for their personal gain.”
“These people were entrusted to help provide health care and necessary medical tests to patients, but instead they used patients’ information to commit Medicaid fraud,” said North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “I'm grateful for the work of our office’s Medicaid Investigations Division to hold these fraudsters accountable, as well as the partnerships with federal and state law enforcement and prosecutors that helped get this done. We'll make sure anyone who abuses taxpayer dollars is held accountable.”
“This criminal charge underscores the VA Office of Inspector General’s commitment to vigorously investigate those who would seek to defraud VA healthcare programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Nate Landkammer with the VA Office of Inspector General’s Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in this investigation.”
Principal Assistant Deputy Chief Jacob Foster, Assistant Deputy Chief Rebecca Yuan, Trial Attorney Miriam L. Glaser Dauermann, and Data Analyst Elizabeth Nolte, all of the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, led and coordinated this year’s Takedown. The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorneys General’s Offices for California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team used cutting-edge data analytics to identify and support the investigations that led to these charges.
The Eastern District of North Carolina, in particular, worked with the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office – Medicaid Investigations Division (MID), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRSCI), the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), and the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Forces. Prior to the charges announced as part of today’s nationwide Takedown and since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which operates in 27 districts, charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively billed Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers more than $27 billion.
A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mexican national federally indicted in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A Mexican national, illegally living in Mount Pleasant, has been charged with federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Jose Solorio-Martinez, 38, was named in a federal indictment returned by a grand jury last week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with illegally reentering the United States after previously being deported.
The indictment alleges that on April 24, 2025, Solorio-Martinez was found illegally in Mount Pleasant, after having been previously deported to Mexico from the United States on August 8, 2017.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
If convicted, Solorio-Martinez faces up to 2 years in federal prison and deportation.
This case is being investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety, FBI, and Mount Pleasant Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Richards.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Mexican National Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican National illegally residing in Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced in federal court today for Illegal Re-entry by an Alien Previously Removed.
Jorge Alejandro Esparza-Lopez, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to twelve months in federal prison without parole followed by one year of supervised release.
On Feb. 26, 2025, Esparza-Lopez pleaded guilty to illegally re-entering the United States after previously being removed. Esparza-Lopez admitted he knew he did not have permission to enter or remain in the United States lawfully.
Under federal law it is illegal for an alien to knowingly re-enter the United States without permission after being removed. Esparza-Lopez had previously been removed from the country on five separate occasions in 2007, 2013, twice in 2016, and 2022. He unlawfully returned sometime after his 2022 removal and was found in the Western District of Missouri after being arrested in October of 2024 by the Independence, Missouri Police Department for domestic assault, stealing, and interfering with police. He was subsequently charged in Independence, Missouri for those acts and the charges remain pending.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Hanson. It was investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline)
Mexican Felon with History of Drug Trafficking in Waco Back in Federal CustodyRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Mexican national was transferred into federal custody Friday and charged with illegal re-entry after being found in the McLennan County Jail.
According to court documents, Pedro Martinez-Solorzano, 41, was arrested by local law enforcement in March for evading arrest with a vehicle. Martinez-Solorzano was identified as an alien unlawfully present in the U.S. who had been previously removed to Mexico in February 2022 through Del Rio. In June 2014, Martinez-Solorzano was sentenced in Waco to 110 months federal imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine, aiding and abetting.
Martinez-Solorzano made his initial appearance in a federal court in Waco today. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Smith-Burris is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Metairie Man Sentenced to 262 Months for Federal Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ROOSEVELT COCKHERAN (“COCKHERAN”) , age 41, formerly a resident of Metairie, Louisiana, was sentenced on June 26, 2025 by United States District Judge Susie Morgan to 262 months pursuant to his pleas of guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and, to Distribute Cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846; Unlawful Use of a Communications Facility, to Further a Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b); Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C); and Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
Specifically, COCKHERAN was sentenced to 262 months for the Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Cocaine charge, 48 months (statutory maximum) for the Unlawful Use of a Communications Facility charge, 262 months (statutory maximum) for the Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine charge, and 180 months (statutory maximum) for the Felon in Possession of a Firearm charge. The sentences were ordered to be served concurrently. Judge Morgan also imposed an 8-year term of supervised release to follow COCKHERAN’s incarceration.
Court documents reflect that COCKHERAN was arrested by Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (JPSO) deputies after they recovered several plastic bags containing cocaine and crack cocaine, a black digital scale, a Black Taurus Model PT 24/7 PRO handgun with a magazine containing 11 live rounds of .45 ammo and his cell phone, from his pick-up truck. Examination of the cell phone by JPSO experts and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, revealed text messages, photographs and other information documenting his drug trafficking activities. The Court found that COCKHERAN was the source of supply for local Jefferson Parish drug traffickers, and that he supervised their activities. Court documents also revealed that COCKHERAN is a prior drug offender under federal law.
Three other persons have pled guilty in this investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller of the Narcotics Unit is assigned the prosecution.
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Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 32 Months for Using Stolen Debit Card NumbersRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Andre Hill, 25, to 32 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. Hill was also ordered to pay $13,842 in restitution. Hill pleaded guilty on February 24, 2025.
According to court records and evidence from the sentencing, from January to February 2023 Hill obtained and used multiple debit card numbers without the knowledge of the account holders. Hill loaded the stolen numbers into a digital wallet application on his phone and then traveled to Maine and other locations to make purchases, request cash back, and purchase money orders payable to himself. The purchases made in Maine took place at multiple retail locations and post offices in the greater Portland area. Hill attempted over $40,000 in transactions using the stolen debit card numbers.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
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Man Arrested for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A Dominican national was arrested today on criminal charges for allegedly assaulting a federal officer.
According to court documents, Bernis Díaz-de la Cruz (Díaz), 20, was arrested and charged under a Federal Criminal Complaint with violations of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 111(a) – Obstructing and Resisting a Federal Officer – and 111(b) – Assault of a Federal Officer through the use of a dangerous weapon, for events which took place in Puerto Rico on June 25, 2025.
United States Border Patrol Agents were on duty when they encountered the subject who was engaged in suspected illegal activity inside a vehicle. Upon being confronted by the Border Patrol Agents, and instead of following commands, Díaz rapidly accelerated the vehicle toward one of the Border Patrol Agents who was in his official law enforcement uniform and standing in front of the vehicle. The Border Patrol Agent acted rapidly and moved to avoid being hit by the vehicle driven by Díaz. Díaz’s erratic driving ultimately resulted in a collision with another law enforcement vehicle which was in the vicinity of the incident.
Díaz is a citizen of the Dominican Republic and does not have legal status authorizing him to be present in the United States.
“The Department of Justice has zero tolerance for those criminals who assault federal or local law enforcement officers,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We will prosecute those who assault the brave women and men who serve and protect our communities to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Assaulting a federal agent is a grave offense that risks the safety of those who serve and protect our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Devin J. Kowalski, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Juan Field Office. “When someone chooses violence instead of compliance, they endanger lives—including their own. These agents exercised extraordinary restraint and professionalism in the face of a dangerous and deliberate threat. But let this serve as a warning: any assault against federal law enforcement will be investigated with every single resource the FBI has it its portfolio and we will not rest until justice is fully served.”
“Thanks to the vigilance our agents and coordination with our federal partners, the defendant will now face justice under federal law, reinforcing that violations of U.S. sovereignty will not go unchecked,” stated Reggie Johnson, Chief Patrol Agent for Ramey Sector. “Assaults on any federal agent will not be tolerated. Those who choose to commit such acts will be held fully accountable under the law. Violence against law enforcement is an attack on the rule of law and public safety—and it will be met with swift and decisive justice.”
If convicted, Díaz faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and the United States Border Patrol Ramey Sector are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney César Rivera-Díaz is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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complaint_diaz_de_la_cruz_0_0.pdfMan Admits Meeting 14-Year-Old to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man living in St. Louis County on Monday admitted meeting with a 14-year-old to engage in sexual activity.
Yeison Perdomo, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor.
Perdomo met the victim in February of 2024 on a dating website. The victim initially said she was 20 years old, then 15, then “not yet” 15, Perdomo’s plea agreement says. Between February 28 and March 8, the pair exchanged 8,462 text messages. They often discussed meeting to engage in sexual activity. Perdomo, who is a citizen of Spain and unlawfully residing in the United States, mentioned getting married when the victim turned 18 so he might acquire status as a legal resident.
On March 8, Perdomo picked the victim up from school and took her to his home in Berkeley, Missouri. When she didn’t come home, her family reported her missing, and the Chesterfield Police Department identified Perdomo’s vehicle and tracked him to his home. Early in the morning of March 9, officers with the Berkeley and Chesterfield police found Perdomo and the victim hiding under a blanket in his vehicle’s backseat. Perdomo refused police commands and had to be dragged from the vehicle. The victim told police that the pair had engaged in sexual activity.
At Perdomo’s September 18 sentencing, both sides have agreed to recommend 10 years in prison. He will be required to register as a sex offender and will likely be deported after his release from prison.
The Chesterfield Police Department, the Berkeley Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Midway Man Sentenced for Engaging in Sexual Relationship with InmateRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Kerontrez Lamar Kenon, 23, of Midway, Florida, was sentenced to one year in prison after previously pleading guilty to engaging in a sexual relationship with a ward. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
According to court records, Kenon was employed as a correctional officer at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Tallahassee during June and July 2023, when he engaged in sexual intercourse with a female inmate who was under his custodial authority. Kenon also brought the inmate cigarettes and food, against regulations, and helped the inmate set up a CashApp so that other inmates could pay her for cigarettes. At the time that the inmate reported the incident, Kenon was no longer employed by FCI Tallahassee. Kenon’s prison sentence will be followed by five years’ supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “A correctional officer’s abuse of his position is intolerable. My office will work with our federal partners to vigorously investigate and prosecute any officer who violates their oath through the abuse of inmates entrusted to their care and custody.”
“No inmate should ever experience sexual abuse or mistreatment of any kind by those responsible for their safety and custody. The Office of the Inspector General is committed to holding violators accountable and seeking justice for these victims of exploitation,” said Eric Fehlman, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Southeast Region.
“The FBI will stop at nothing to seek justice for victims of crime, including inmates who suffer abuse while housed in corrections facilities,” Jason Carley, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “This case is even more egregious, having been committed by someone who was in a position of authority. Our investigators will continue to work tirelessly in coordination with our law enforcement partners to identify those who violate their oath to protect and serve.”
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Daurin Abimael Roblero Perez, 28, of the country of Mexico, was sentenced to prison after previously pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
According to court records, Roblero Perez was discovered to be illegally in the United States after he was encountered in Alachua County, Florida, and arrested for operating a motor vehicle without a valid license. Upon being booked into the Alachua County Jail, Roblero Perez was determined to be a Mexican national who had been previously deported or removed from the United States in July 2020. Roblero Perez admitted he had not applied for nor obtained permission from the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General to reenter the United States. Instead, he reentered the United States by “walking across at Arizona” in approximately 2023.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi have made enforcing our nation’s immigration laws a top priority, and my office stands ready to fulfill that priority. This sentence should be a deterrent warning to all illegal aliens that violations of our nation’s immigration laws will not be taken lightly by my office.”
The conviction and sentence were the result of an investigation by the United States Department of Homeland Security’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Lockport man connected to global sex trafficking network going to prisonRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Richard Greer, 58, of Lockport, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, was sentenced to serve 78 months in prison and 25 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A. C. Penrose, who handled the case stated that between April 2019, and August 14, 2023, Greer used Skype to communicate with individuals operating a child-sex-trafficking network from the Philippines. During this period, he exchanged approximately 31,000 messages, 3,099 calls, and 213 media files with the traffickers. The chat conversations discussed, among other things, the sale of live-streaming depictions of child pornography. During some of the conversations, Greer received images of children engaged in sexual activities. Greer would often pay the traffickers for the child pornography that he received.
In December 2023, federal agents executed a search warrant at Greer’s residence, seizing several electronic devices, including a laptop, and a thumb drive. A review of the laptop recovered more than 4,400 images and 44 video files of child pornography and a review of the thumb drive recovered approximately 13,000 images and 900 videos of child pornography. Some of the images and videos included depictions of violence against children and sexual abuse or exploitation of infants or toddlers.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.
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Lewiston Man Charged with Identity Theft and Fraud Charges as Part of National Health Care Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man has been charged with identity theft and fraud offenses in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Medicaid.
Joseph Dobie, 36, of Lewiston, was charged by complaint with aggravated identity theft, false statements relating to health care matters, and unlawful use of Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, in connection with an identity theft scheme.
The charges filed in U.S. District Court in Portland are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets, and the government, in connection with the Takedown, seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency and other assets.
The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle, District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle, District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting the cases in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department of Justice website here.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General led the investigation of the Dobie case, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Lebanon Man Sentenced to 85 Months’ Imprisonment for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Stephen Okamoto, age 36, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on June 26, 2025, to 85 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Keli M. Neary for distribution of child pornography.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, law enforcement identified an Internet Protocol (IP) address that was sharing a collection of child pornography via BitTorrent software. The IP address was traced to Okamoto’s residence. Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant on that residence, recovering electronic devices that contained over 1,900 images of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Derry Township Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
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Leader of Yoga to the People Sentenced to Four Years for Tax Evasion SchemeRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that GREGORY GUMUCIO was sentenced to four years in prison for participating in a conspiracy to commit tax evasion from 2012 to 2020. GUMUCIO was the longtime leader of a prominent nationwide yoga business, Yoga to the People (“YTTP”), from which he made nearly $3.5 million in income between 2012 and 2020 yet did not file individual (or business) tax returns or pay any income taxes for at least eight consecutive years. GUMUCIO pled guilty on October 4, 2024, before U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan, who imposed today’s sentence.
“Gregory Gumucio built a profitable yoga empire and lived well off its success—but he refused to pay his taxes,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Hard-working, tax-paying New Yorkers want our Office to pursue business owners who game the tax system. With today’s sentencing, Mr. Gumucio is being held accountable.”
According to statements made in court and publicly filed documents in this case:
In or around 2006, GUMUCIO founded YTTP in New York, New York. YTTP was originally donation-based: YTTP requested, but did not require, payment from its yoga students. YTTP started with one yoga studio on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and it became extremely popular. Over the ensuing years, YTTP opened at least approximately 20 yoga studios or affiliated entities throughout New York City and in various other places, including California, Colorado, Arizona, Florida, and Washington State. YTTP also had a teacher training program, which earned substantial income from aspiring yoga teachers. YTTP operated from at least approximately 2006 until 2020. From 2010 to 2020, YTTP and its affiliates generated gross receipts of more than $20 million. Despite those substantial revenues, YTTP never filed a corporate tax return with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
GUMUCIO was YTTP’s founder, principal owner, and functional chief executive officer, as he directed and made decisions for the YTTP enterprise. From approximately 2012 through 2020, GUMUCIO received nearly $3.5 million in income and owed taxes to the IRS exceeding $1 million, but never filed a personal tax return with the IRS or paid any income taxes. During the charged period, GUMUCIO repeatedly represented his annual income to be six figures to third parties not associated with the Government (e.g., a bank, a car financing company, and a real estate entity). In one such instance, GUMUCIO submitted a fabricated tax return to a third party, which a co-defendant prepared for GUMUCIO at GUMUCIO’s request. During the charged period, GUMUCIO enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle, which included frequent foreign travel; expensive hotels, meals, and clothing; NFL season tickets; and country club payments.
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In addition to the prison term, GUMUCIO, 64, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sentenced to three years of supervised released. GUMUCIO was also ordered to pay the IRS restitution in the amount of $2,729,407.10.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s New York and Dallas Field Offices; the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General’s New York Regional Office; and Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rushmi Bhaskaran and Michael Neff are in charge of the prosecution.
Largest ever nationwide healthcare fraud takedown includes two cases from Western WashingtonRead the Press Release
Seattle –Today, Acting United States Attorney Teal Luthy Miller announced criminal charges against a resident at Seattle Children’s Hospital, UW Medical Center, and Harborview, and a civil settlement with a medical practice as part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The criminal charge stems from the criminal complaint filed against an anesthesiology resident who diverted narcotic pain medication for his own use. The civil settlement is with a company that billed federal medical programs for medications that were considered experimental and not approved for the diagnoses.
“Our work in health care fraud is both to protect patients and protect important government programs,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “The medical resident stole narcotics and used them while at work in the UW hospital system, putting patients in jeopardy. Pinnacle Health PC, a Seattle based healthcare provider, billed more than $500,000 for treatments that were experimental and had not been approved, potentially harming patients and making false claims on federal funds.”
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
The cases announced today by Acting U.S. Attorney Miller are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in alleged false billings and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets, and the Government, in connection with the Takedown, seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets.
The following individual was charged in the Western District of Washington:
Andrew Voegel-Podadera, 35, of Seattle, Washington, was charged by complaint with obtaining controlled substances by fraud in connection with a scheme to divert medications for his own use. As alleged in the complaint, Voegel-Podadera was an anesthesiology resident who secretly took fentanyl, hydromorphone, and other medications over the course of at least a year while working at Seattle Children’s Hospital, Harborview Medical Center, and University of Washington Medical Center. He sometimes used the diverted substances while still at the hospital, meaning he was under the influence of potent narcotics while treating patients.
“Diverting medicine away from infant patients is despicable, doubly so if the person involved is a doctor,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “If Dr. Voegel-Podadera is convicted, it will show that he violated both his oath and the law, and I am proud that DEA could help stop him.”
“FDA will continue to aggressively pursue those health care practitioners who prey on vulnerable patients by removing their needed medications, as was the criminal case against the anesthesiology resident at Seattle Children’s Hospital,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Los Angeles Field Office. “We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect the public health and bring to justice those would compromise patients’ health and comfort in this manner.”
The healthcare provider Pinnacle Health PC resolved civil claims that it submitted false claims to government programs:
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington began an independent investigation of Pinnacle Health PC, a Seattle based healthcare provider that specializes in regenerative treatments, acupuncture, and lifestyle and nutrition coaching. The investigation was a consequence of a referral from HHS-OIG, in which concerns were raised that Pinnacle was billing for procedures for unapproved diagnoses. Based on our analysis of Medicare claims data and in coordination with HHS-OIG, we substantiated concerns that Pinnacle violated the False Claims Act, when it billed for an injectable form of an amniotic fluid product called FlowerAmnioFlo. CMS had approved a sheet form of FlowerAmnioFlo for very limited purposes, but Pinnacle used and billed for the injectable product that was considered experimental and not approved for any diagnosis. Our investigation uncovered similar claims were billed to Tricare as well. We resolved the matter for $1,115,976.
“The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said HHS-OIG Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.”
The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle, District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle, District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting the cases in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team.
Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available here: https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/2025-national-health-care-fraud-takedown
The Western District of Washington, worked with the Department’s Criminal Division and the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute the case filed during the enforcement period: the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Food and Drug Administration - Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI). The civil false claims matter was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office False Claims Act Investigator Ryan Hardy and Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).
A criminal complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The criminal case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Philip Kopczynski and Amanda McDowell.
The civil settlement was negotiated by Assistant United States Attorney Nickolas Bohl.
Kenner Man Sentenced for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on June 26, 2025, NOAH TORRES (“TORRES”), age 48, of Kenner, was sentenced for Possession of Materials Involving the Sexual Abuse of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2).
According to court documents, on Monday, July 24, 2023, TORRES was arrested at his Kenner residence by Special Agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, after the execution of a federal search warrant. TORRES admitted to possessing 219 images and 340 videos depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced TORRES to time served and, (10) ten years supervised release, sex offender treatment and registration.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, including the Portland, Oregon and New Orleans, Louisiana offices; the Kenner Police Department; and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Chief of Financial Crimes Unit.
Justice Department Announces Coordinated, Nationwide Actions to Combat North Korean Remote Information Technology Workers’ Illicit Revenue Generation SchemesRead the Press Release
Note: This press release has been updated to reflect new information regarding the guilty plea of one defendant in the District of Massachusetts.
The Justice Department announced today coordinated actions against the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea (DPRK) government’s schemes to fund its regime through remote information technology (IT) work for U.S. companies. These actions include two indictments, an information and related plea agreement, an arrest, searches of 29 known or suspected “laptop farms” across 16 states, and the seizure of 29 financial accounts used to launder illicit funds and 21 fraudulent websites.
According to court documents, the schemes involve North Korean individuals fraudulently obtaining employment with U.S. companies as remote IT workers, using stolen and fake identities. The North Korean actors were assisted by individuals in the United States, China, United Arab Emirates, and Taiwan, and successfully obtained employment with more than 100 U.S. companies.
As alleged in court documents, certain U.S.-based individuals enabled one of the schemes by creating front companies and fraudulent websites to promote the bona fides of the remote IT workers, and hosted laptop farms where the remote North Korean IT workers could remote access into U.S. victim company-provided laptop computers. Once employed, the North Korean IT workers received regular salary payments, and they gained access to, and in some cases stole, sensitive employer information such as export controlled U.S. military technology and virtual currency. In another scheme, North Korean IT workers used false or fraudulently obtained identities to gain employment with an Atlanta, Georgia-based blockchain research and development company and stole virtual currency worth approximately over $900,000.
“These schemes target and steal from U.S. companies and are designed to evade sanctions and fund the North Korean regime’s illicit programs, including its weapons programs,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department, along with our law enforcement, private sector, and international partners, will persistently pursue and dismantle these cyber-enabled revenue generation networks.”
“North Korean IT workers defraud American companies and steal the identities of private citizens, all in support of the North Korean regime,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of FBI’s Cyber Division. “That is why the FBI and our partners continue to work together to disrupt infrastructure, seize revenue, indict overseas IT workers, and arrest their enablers in the United States. Let the actions announced today serve as a warning: if you host laptop farms for the benefit of North Korean actors, law enforcement will be waiting for you.”
“North Korea remains intent on funding its weapons programs by defrauding U.S. companies and exploiting American victims of identity theft, but the FBI is equally intent on disrupting this massive campaign and bringing its perpetrators to justice,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI Counterintelligence Division. “North Korean IT workers posing as U.S. citizens fraudulently obtained employment with American businesses so they could funnel hundreds of millions of dollars to North Korea’s authoritarian regime. The FBI will do everything in our power to defend the homeland and protect Americans from being victimized by the North Korean government, and we ask all U.S. companies that employ remote workers to remain vigilant to this sophisticated threat.”
Zhenxing Wang, et al. Indictment, Seizure Warrants, and Arrest – District of Massachusetts
Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and the National Security Division announced the arrest of U.S. national Zhenxing “Danny” Wang of New Jersey pursuant to a five-count indictment. The indictment describes a multi-year fraud scheme by Wang and his co-conspirators to obtain remote IT work with U.S. companies that generated more than $5 million in revenue. The indictment also charges Chinese nationals Jing Bin Huang (靖斌 黄), Baoyu Zhou (周宝玉), Tong Yuze (佟雨泽), Yongzhe Xu (徐勇哲 andيونجزهي أكسو), Ziyou Yuan (زيو) and Zhenbang Zhou (周震邦), and Taiwanese nationals Mengting Liu (劉 孟婷) and Enchia Liu (刘恩) for their roles in the scheme. A second U.S. national, Kejia “Tony” Wang of New Jersey, has agreed to plead guilty for his role in the scheme and was charged separately in an information unsealed today.
“The threat posed by DPRK operatives is both real and immediate. Thousands of North Korean cyber operatives have been trained and deployed by the regime to blend into the global digital workforce and systematically target U.S. companies,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “We will continue to work relentlessly to protect U.S. businesses and ensure they are not inadvertently fueling the DPRK’s unlawful and dangerous ambitions.”
According to the indictment, from approximately 2021 until October 2024, the defendants and other co-conspirators compromised the identities of more than 80 U.S. persons to obtain remote jobs at more than 100 U.S. companies, including many Fortune 500 companies, and caused U.S. victim companies to incur legal fees, computer network remediation costs, and other damages and losses of at least $3 million. Overseas IT workers were assisted by Kejia Wang, Zhenxing Wang, and at least four other identified U.S. facilitators. Kejia Wang, for example, communicated with overseas co-conspirators and IT workers, and traveled to Shenyang and Dandong, China, including in 2023, to meet with them about the scheme. To deceive U.S. companies into believing the IT workers were located in the United States, Kejia Wang, Zhenxing Wang, and the other U.S. facilitators received and/or hosted laptops belonging to U.S. companies at their residences, and enabled overseas IT workers to access the laptops remotely by, among other things, connecting the laptops to hardware devices designed to allow for remote access (referred to as keyboard-video-mouse or “KVM” switches).
Kejia Wang and Zhenxing Wang also created shell companies with corresponding websites and financial accounts, including Hopana Tech LLC, Tony WKJ LLC, and Independent Lab LLC, to make it appear as though the overseas IT workers were affiliated with legitimate U.S. businesses. Kejia Wang and Zhenxing Wang established these and other financial accounts to receive money from victimized U.S. companies, much of which was subsequently transferred to overseas co‑conspirators. In exchange for their services, Kejia Wang, Zhenxing Wang, and the four other U.S. facilitators received a total of at least $696,000 from the IT workers.
IT workers employed under this scheme also gained access to sensitive employer data and source code, including International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) data from a California-based defense contractor that develops artificial intelligence-powered equipment and technologies. Specifically, between on or about Jan. 19, 2024, and on or about April 2, 2024, an overseas co-conspirator remotely accessed without authorization the company’s laptop and computer files containing technical data and other information. The stolen data included information marked as being controlled under the ITAR.
Simultaneously with today’s announcement, the FBI and Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) seized 17 web domains used in furtherance of the charged scheme and further seized 29 financial accounts, holding tens of thousands of dollars in funds, used to launder revenue for the North Korean regime through the remote IT work scheme.
Previously, in October 2024, as part of this investigation, federal law enforcement executed searches at eight locations across three states that resulted in the recovery of more than 70 laptops and remote access devices, such as KVMs. Simultaneously with that action, the FBI seized four web domains associated with Kejia Wang’s and Zhenxing Wang’s shell companies used to facilitate North Korean IT work.
The FBI Las Vegas Field Office, DCIS San Diego Resident Agency, and Homeland Security Investigations San Diego Field Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Casey for the District of Massachusetts and Trial Attorney Gregory J. Nicosia, Jr. of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from Legal Assistants Daniel Boucher and Margaret Coppes. Valuable assistance was also provided by Mark A. Murphy of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, and Southern District of California.
Kim Kwang Jin et al. Indictment – Northern District of Georgia
Today, the Northern District of Georgia unsealed a five-count wire fraud and money laundering indictment charging four North Korean nationals, Kim Kwang Jin (김관진), Kang Tae Bok (강태복), Jong Pong Ju (정봉주) and Chang Nam Il (창남일), with a scheme to steal virtual currency from two companies, valued at over $900,000 at the time of the thefts, and to launder proceeds of those thefts. The defendants remain at large and wanted by the FBI.
“The defendants used fake and stolen personal identities to conceal their North Korean nationality, pose as remote IT workers, and exploit their victims’ trust to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia. “This indictment highlights the unique threat North Korea poses to companies that hire remote IT workers and underscores our resolve to prosecute any actor, in the United States or abroad, who steals from Georgia businesses.”
According to the indictment, the defendants traveled to the United Arab Emirates on North Korean travel documents and worked as a co-located team. In approximately December 2020 and May 2021, respectively, Kim Kwang Jin (using victim P.S.’s stolen identity) and Jong Pong Ju (using the alias “Bryan Cho”) were hired by a blockchain research and development company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and a virtual token company based in Serbia. Both defendants concealed their North Korean identities from their employers by providing false identification documents containing a mix of stolen and fraudulent identity information. Neither company would have hired Kim Kwang Jin and Jong Pong Ju had they known that they were North Korean citizens. Later, on a recommendation from Jong Pong Ju, the Serbian company hired “Peter Xiao,” who in fact was Chang Nam Il.
After gaining their employers’ trust, Kim Kwang Jin and Jong Pong Ju were assigned projects that provided them access to their employers’ virtual currency assets. In February 2022, Jong Pong Ju used that access to steal virtual currency worth approximately $175,000 at the time of the theft, sending it to a virtual currency address he controlled. In March 2022, Kim Kwang Jin stole virtual currency worth approximately $740,000 at the time of theft by modifying the source code of two of his employer’s smart contracts, then sending it to a virtual currency address he controlled.
To launder the funds after the thefts, Kim Kwang Jin and Jong Pong Ju “mixed” the stolen funds using the virtual currency mixer Tornado Cash and then transferred the funds to virtual currency exchange accounts controlled by defendants Kang Tae Bok and Chang Nam Il but held in the name of aliases. These accounts were opened using fraudulent Malaysian identification documents.
The FBI Atlanta Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samir Kaushal and Alex Sistla for the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Jacques Singer-Emery of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case.
21 Searches of Known or Suspected U.S.-based Laptop Farms – Multi-District
Between June 10 and June 17, 2025, the FBI executed searches of 21 premises across 14 states hosting known and suspected laptop farms. These actions, coordinated by the FBI Denver Field Office, related to investigations of North Korean remote IT worker schemes being conducted by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices of the District of Colorado, Eastern District of Missouri, and Northern District of Texas. In total, the FBI seized approximately 137 laptops.
Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Connecticut, the Eastern District of Michigan, the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the Middle District of Florida, the Northern District of Georgia, the Northern District of Illinois, the Northern District of Indiana, the District of Oregon, the Southern District of Florida, the Southern District of Ohio, the Western District of New York, and the Western District of Pennsylvania.
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The Department’s actions to combat these schemes are the latest in a series of law enforcement actions under a joint National Security Division and FBI Cyber and Counterintelligence Divisions effort, the DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative. This effort prioritizes targeting and disrupting the DPRK’s illicit revenue generation schemes and its U.S.-based enablers. The Department previously announced other actions pursuant to the initiative, including in January 2025 and prior, as well as the filing of a civil forfeiture complaint in early June 2025 for over $7.74 million tied to an illegal employment scheme.
As the FBI has described in Public Service Announcements published in May 2024 and January 2025, North Korean remote IT workers posing as legitimate remote IT workers have committed data extortion and exfiltrated the proprietary and sensitive data from U.S. companies. DPRK IT worker schemes typically involve the use of stolen identities, alias emails, social media, online cross-border payment platforms, and online job site accounts, as well as false websites, proxy computers, and witting and unwitting third parties located in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Other public advisories about the threats, red flag indicators, and potential mitigation measures for these schemes include a May 2022 advisory released by the FBI, Department of the Treasury, and Department of State; a July 2023 advisory from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; and guidance issued in October 2023 by the United States and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). As described the May 2022 advisory, North Korean IT workers have been known individually to earn up to $300,000 annually, generating hundreds of millions of dollars collectively each year, on behalf of designated entities, such as the North Korean Ministry of Defense and others directly involved in the DPRK’s weapons programs.
The U.S. Department of State has offered potential rewards for up to $5 million in support of international efforts to disrupt the DPRK’s illicit financial activities, including for cybercrimes, money laundering, and sanctions evasion.
The details in the above-described court documents are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Houma Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that CURTIS WILLIAMSON JR. (“WILLIAMSON JR.”), age 42, of Houma, LA, was sentenced on June 26, 2025 to 120 months imprisonment, followed by ten (10) years of supervised release, by U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown, after previously pleading guilty to one Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A).
According to filed court documents, after receiving a March 22, 2023 complaint of WILLIAMSON JR. trafficking narcotics, a search warrant was executed by the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, on WILLIAMSON JR.’s residence that revealed the presence of multiple kilograms of methamphetamine located in large bags in his bedroom closet.
Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office. This case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
Honduran National Indicted for Re-Entry of Deported AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ActingUnited States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JUNIOR ELIXON BURGOS-LARA (“BURGOS-LARA”), age 28, a native of Honduras, was indicted on June 26, 2025, for re-entry of removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court documents, BURGOS-LARA an illegal alien, was found in St. Tammany Parish on May 21, 2025. He had previously been removed to Honduras on November 27, 2018.
If convicted, BURGOS-LARA faces a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to one year of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in investigating this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Frederick W. Veters Jr., of the General Crimes Unit, oversees the prosecution.
Honduran Man Guilty of Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ActingUnited States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ELVIN LICONA CERRATO (“LICONA”), age 36, a native of Honduras, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on June 26, 2025 by U.S. District Judge Nanette Jolivette-Brown for illegal re-entry of a previously removed alien, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1326(a). LICONA was sentenced to a total term of time served and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Additionally, LICONA’s custody was immediately transferred to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement pursuant to the pending detainer.
According to court documents, LICONA was previously removed from the United States on November 14, 2016. He was later found in the Eastern District of Louisiana on April 6, 2025 and had not received permission from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Hendersonville Doctor and Her Office Manager Husband Indicted as Part of the Department of Justice's 2025 National Health Care Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Today, Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee announced criminal charges against two defendants in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield for inpatient hospital services that were never provided. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
“Our office will vigorously pursue those who would defraud American taxpayers by these illegal health care fraud schemes,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “The charges announced today are just our latest effort to crack down on health care fraud in the nation’s health care capital. Nashville is a great place for honest health care business and a terrible place for those who would commit health care fraud.”
“Today’s record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown sends a crystal-clear message to criminal actors, both foreign and domestic, intent on preying upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers: we will find you, we will prosecute you, and we will hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
The charges announced today by Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in alleged false billings and over 15.6 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. In connection with the Takedown, the Government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets.
The following individuals were charged in the Middle District of Tennessee:
Xuhan Zhang a/k/a “Shelia Zhang” a/k/a “Xuhan Mei,” 62, and Jing Qi Mei, 65, both of Hendersonville, Tennessee, were charged by indictment with a conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, false statements related to health care, aggravated identity theft, a money laundering conspiracy, and money laundering, in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield for inpatient hospital services purportedly provided by Zhang, a medical doctor, and billed by Mei between 2017 and 2025. The inpatient physician services were never provided, including because the hospital closed, the patients were actually in nursing homes, and in many instances, the patients were deceased. The defendants billed for services that exceeded twenty-four hours in a day. In connection with the scheme, Zhang and Mei submitted to Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield approximately $20 million in fraudulent claims of which approximately $6.5 million were paid. The Asset Forfeiture Unit seized approximately $6,000,000 in proceeds from bank accounts, and a Tesla CyberTruck. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Robert Levine and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Bogni, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Toussaint is handling asset forfeiture.
“The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said HHS-OIG Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.”
The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorneys General’s Offices for California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team used cutting-edge data analytics to identify and support the investigations that led to these charges.
Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.
The Middle District of Tennessee, in particular, worked with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) to investigate and prosecute this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Hartford Man Admits Defrauding AmazonRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TERRELL KIMBLE, 45, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to an offense stemming from a scheme to defraud Amazon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Kimble was employed by Amazon as a Regional Fleet Specialist and an Area Manager, based in Connecticut. Amazon operated an employee reward program called Peak, administered through a procurement portal called Coupa. Coupa allowed certain employees, including Area Managers, to reward other employees on their work team for superior performance by ordering an item from Amazon for the employee at no cost. Between approximately July 2021 and December 2022, Kimble placed at least 196 Coupa orders fraudulently representing that they were to reward employee performance, but had the products, mainly high-end electronic goods, delivered to his mother’s residence for his own use. The electronic items included Apple iPad Pro, Apple AirPods Pro, and Apple Watch devices, and Nintendo Switches.
Kimble was arrested on August 15, 2024.
Kimble pleaded guilty to wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He is released on a $250,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.
This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force, with the assistance of the Windsor, West Hartford, and Hartford Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
Fresno Man Sentenced to over 5 Years in Prison for Running a $4.2 Million Fraud Scheme Through His Technology StartupRead the Press Release
Royce Newcomb, 62, of Fresno, was sentenced today to five years and 10 months in prison for wire fraud and money laundering charges in a long-running fraud scheme where he stole $4.2 million from investors, lenders, and the federal government, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
“Fraud schemes like this one are devastating to the victims, and prosecuting the perpetrators is one of our highest priorities,” Acting U.S. Attorney Beckwith said. “Our office will continue to work closely with the FBI to root out fraudsters who steal from private victims and from the federal government.”
“Royce Newcomb’s greed and disregard for the law while on supervised release adds salt to his victims’ financial wounds and serves as a cautionary tale for would-be investors,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “He lured his victims into the scheme with slick marketing and false promises to ensure investors trusted him and would be unlikely to question his claims. The FBI encourages all investors to research individuals and companies prior to making a financial commitment. We also encourage anyone who feels they may have invested in a fraud scheme to report their concerns promptly.”
According to court documents, from 2017 through 2022, Newcomb owned Strategic Innovations, which was a technology startup company that purported to make smart home and business products meant to stop package theft, prevent weather damage to packages, and make it easier for emergency responders and delivery services to find homes and businesses. Newcomb developed prototypes of his products and received local and national media attention for them. For example, Time Magazine included his eLiT Address Box & Security System, which used mobile networks to pinpoint home and business locations, on its Best Inventions of 2021 list.
Newcomb made several false representations to his investors to deceive and cheat them out of their money. The false representations included that he had been awarded a grant by the National Science Foundation and that he would use the investors’ money to further develop and bring his products to market. That was not true. Instead, Newcomb used the money to pay for gambling, a Mercedes and Jaguar, and a mansion. He also used the money to pay for refunds to other investors who wanted out, and to pay for new, unrelated projects without the investors’ authorization.
During this period, Newcomb also received a fraudulent COVID-19 loan for more than $70,000 from the Small Business Administration and fraudulent loans for more than $190,000 from private lenders. He lied about Strategic Innovations having hundreds of thousands and even millions in revenue to get these loans.
Newcomb was previously convicted federally in 2011 for running a real estate fraud scheme in Sacramento. He was sentenced to more than five years in prison for that offense, and he was on federal supervised release for that offense when he committed the offenses charged in this case.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Barton and Jeffrey Spivak prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of five interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces use prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.