Posts Tagged ‘Health law offices of Anthony C. Vitale’
Two Miami Doctors Sentenced for $31 Million in False Medicare Claims as Part of a DME Fraud Scheme
A pair of Miami doctors recently were sentenced for their parts in a scheme to steal from Medicare by making more than $31 million in false DME claims. Dr. Dean Zusmer, a chiropractor, was sentenced to eight years and one month in prison and ordered to pay $1.4 million in restitution. Dr. Lawrence Alexander, an…
Read MoreFormer Florida Marketer Charged with DME Fraud, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute, Bilking Medicare out of $100M
A former Florida resident living in Puerto Rico has been charged for his role in a $101 million durable medical equipment (DME) kickback scheme. Raheel Naviwala, 34, was charged with conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. According to court documents, Naviwala and his conspirators owned and operated several call centers (NAVIWALA Supply Companies) through…
Read MoreNurse Practitioner Pleads Guilty to Fraud, Controlled Substance Act Violations
A Pennsylvania nurse practitioner who specialized in psychiatric and mental health will have to pay $450,000 in restitution and turn in her Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner’s license after pleading guilty to prescribing medications without a collaborating doctor and false billing. The investigation found that Stefanie King of Ulster, PA pleaded guilty to one felony count…
Read MoreThe Federal Government Nets $2.2B in Settlements and Judgements Under the False Claims Act, Including $1.7B in Healthcare-Related Fraud
Settlements and judgements under the False Claims Act (FCA) surpassed $2.2 billion for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2022. Of that, $1.7 billion related to matters involving the healthcare industry, including drug and medical device manufacturers, durable medical equipment, home health and managed care providers, hospitals, pharmacies, hospice organizations, and physicians. The government and…
Read MoreFeds Charge 25 in South Florida Fraudulent Diploma Scheme: Nurses and Others Face Board of Nursing Licensure and Criminal Investigations
Some 7,600 men and women who allegedly received fraudulent nursing diplomas and transcripts from three Florida-based nursing schools are now being notified that they are under investigation and could face not only disciplinary action but also possible criminal charges. The notices are in response to a bogus diploma and transcript ring that the U.S. Attorney’s…
Read MoreFlorida Cardiology Group and Physicians Settle False Claims Act Litigation for $2 Million
A Florida cardiology practice that operates in Central Florida and ten of its physicians agreed to pay $2 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by submitting inflated claims to Medicare and Medicaid and for billing while the physicians were outside the United States. The settlement grew out of a…
Read MoreThe U.S. Attorney’s Office Middle District of Florida Nets $168M in Battling Fraud in FY 2022
The U.S. Attorney’s Office Middle District of Florida collected $168,330,189 related to criminal and civil matters in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2022. Of that, $103,089,821 represents total collections in criminal and civil actions. The office further breaks it down stating that $43,048,067 was recovered in locally handled cases — $17,769,638 in criminal and…
Read MoreDOJ Cracks Down on Neurostimulator Fraud
A Texas podiatrist who conspired to submit false claims for the placement of electro-acupuncture devices has agreed to pay $90,000 to settle the case. He is the latest in a group of other medical professionals, along with a medical sales representative, alleged to have taken part in similar schemes. According to the U.S. Department of…
Read MoreGenetic Testing Kickback Scheme Settled
Jacksonville, Fla.-based Ocenture LLC and its subsidiary, Carelumina LLC, agreed to pay $3 million to settle allegations that they paid and received kickbacks in connection with genetic testing samples. It was alleged that Ocenture solicited genetic testing samples from Medicare beneficiaries directly and through other marketers. The company then paid physicians to falsely attest that…
Read MoreMarketer Charged in $64M Kickback Scheme
A north Florida man recently was charged for his part in a $64 million scheme to pay illegal kickbacks involving pharmacies, telemedicine companies and doctors. According to the complaint, James D. Feeley of Navarre, Fla. and his partner Mark Belter of Ohio operated a purported marketing company for pharmacies that generated signed prescriptions that its…
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