The FCA Insider

The FCA Insider

Insights and updates on False Claims Act Litigation

Category Archives: Individual Liability

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DOJ, Individual Liability

Eleventh Circuit Affirms Order for $1.195 Million in Restitution and 48 Month Sentence in Commercial Insurance Healthcare Fraud Case

Last month, the Eleventh Circuit upheld a $1.195 million restitution order and 48-month sentence against Carlos Verdeza for three counts of healthcare fraud. See United States v. Verdeza, No. 21-10461, 2023 WL 3728960 (11th Cir. 2023). Verdeza was a case brought by the United States against a physician assistant who produced fraudulent patient files and… Continue Reading
DOJ, FCA Defenses, Individual Liability

Eleventh Circuit Affirms 11-year Prison Sentence for Substance Abuse Treatment Center Physician

Last month, the Eleventh Circuit upheld the conviction and 11-year prison sentence of a physician-Medical Director of two substance abuse treatment centers in Florida who was convicted by a jury of participating in a conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud.  On appeal, Arman Abovyan, a board-certified internal medicine physician, challenged his convictions based on insufficiency of… Continue Reading
Defense Arguments, DOJ, Individual Liability, Investigations

Fifth Circuit Upholds Health Care Fraud Convictions for Home Health Agency Employees

The U.S. Fifth Circuit recently upheld convictions and sentences against five named defendants, each charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and several counts of substantive health care fraud.  In United States v. Barnes, No. 18-31074, 2020 WL 6304699 (5th Cir. Oct. 28, 2020), the Fifth… Continue Reading
DOJ, Individual Liability, Settlements

DOJ Settlement Resolves Allegations of Individual Liability

On October 4, 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California announced a settlement in which the Retina Institute of California Medical Group, its former CEO, and several of its physicians paid the United States and California approximately $6.65 Million to settle False Claims Act allegations.  The settlement related to accusations of… Continue Reading
Individual Liability, OIG, Regulatory

DOJ’s Travel Act Prosecution Yields Convictions for Kickbacks Involving Private Payers

As detailed in our prior entry, on April 9, 2019, a Forest Park, Texas jury found seven individuals guilty of various charges related to a scheme engaged in by Forest Park Medical Center (“FPMC”). The physician-owned surgical hospital paid more than $40 million in bribes and kickbacks to induce surgeons to use FPMC to perform their services,… Continue Reading
DOJ, Individual Liability

Holding Executives Personally Responsible: An Increasing Government Priority

Earlier this month, we covered the Spectocor action which involved an executive and his company’s agreement to pay $10.56M of a $13.45M total settlement to resolve allegations involving medically unnecessary Medicare reimbursements. In another stark reminder that the Department of Justice has increased its focus on individual liability for corporate executives, as per the directive… Continue Reading
DOJ, Individual Liability

The Yates Memo: A Reminder that Executives are Vulnerable Too

The 2015 Yates Memo continues to impact federal prosecutions as the Department of Justice continues to seek accountability from individuals responsible for corporate wrongdoings. As the two year anniversary of the Yates Memo approaches, recent FCA litigation exemplifies the Yates Memo’s intentions. For example, on June 26, 2017, the DOJ reminded us once again that business executives may… Continue Reading

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