Latest news with #NationalHealthCareFraudTakedown
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Warner Robins woman charged with defrauding Georgia Medicaid program for more than $5.4 million
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr's Office announced Monday that a 62-year-old woman from Warner Robins was charged with defrauding the state's Medicaid program more than $5.4 million. The Attorney General's Office said Elizabeth Sue Ivester is accused of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud and aggravated identity theft. Officials said Ivester charged Medicaid for millions of dollars for durable medical equipment that was neither ordered nor supplied to Medicaid recipients. In the indictment, the AG's office said Ivester, who owns and operates Liberty Medical, Inc., 'unlawfully used Medicaid recipients' identification numbers to submit fraudulent claims by falsely representing that one physician ordered 77,095 pieces of DME that were not ordered,' nor were they delivered to any patients. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: 83-year-old grandmother spent hours in jail for a crime she didn't commit, family says Buckhead business owner says remote workers he trusted turned out to be North Koreans who stole $1M What new GA laws are in effect as of July 1, 2025? '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,' HHS-OIG Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins said. Ivester was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 14 and was arraigned on June 17, according to state officials. Carr's office said the indictment was part of the National Health Care Fraud Takedown initiative and was also part of the state's own Medicaid Fraud and Patient Protection Division's work in Georgia. 'Prosecuting Medicaid fraud is a top priority for our office, and we're proud to work with our federal partners in this effort,' Carr said. 'Defrauding Medicaid is the same as stealing taxpayer dollars, and we will hold violators accountable.' [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
The Hill
5 days ago
- The Hill
DOJ announces takedown of record $14.6B in health care fraud
The Justice Department on Monday announced criminal charges against more than 300 individuals over their alleged involvement in over $14.6 billion worth of health care fraud schemes. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants across 50 federal districts. These defendants include 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and other licensed medical professionals. These individuals were allegedly involved in health care fraud schemes totaling $14.6 billion in intended loss, with the government seizing more than $245 million in 'cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets.' An additional $4 billion in false and fraudulent claims was stopped by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as part of the DOJ's Takedown. Civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million were also announced as part of this operation. 'We view the theft of public funds the same way. It's a crime against all of us. Today, in conjunction with the DOJ and our federal partners, we are announcing the results from the largest healthcare fraud investigation, as measured by financial losses, in DOJ history,' FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a statement on the social media platform X. 'Results matter. Talk is cheap. And this is not even the beginning of the beginning. If you're stealing from the public, or violating your oath to serve, then we're coming for you too,' Bongino said. Joseph Nocella Jr., U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement that 11 individuals tied to a 'transnational criminal organization' based in Russia were charged as part of the Takedown in a case titled 'Operation Gold Rush.' In this case, the defendants are alleged to have reaped millions in a health care fraud scheme in which they purchased dozens of durable medical equipment companies that were able to submit claims to Medicare and Medicare Supplement Insurers. By assuming control over these companies, the defendants are accused of submitting billions of dollars worth of false and fraudulent health care claims to Medicare.
UPI
5 days ago
- Health
- UPI
DOJ charges more than 300 in $14B healthcare 'fraud takedown'
1 of 3 | On Monday, U.S. officials said that hundreds of medical professionals throughout the United States will face federal charges for alleged roles in various health care schemes that resulted in billions in financial losses. They claimed the "National Health Care Fraud Takedown" was DOJ's largest health care fraud takedown in U.S. history. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo June 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. government said Monday hundreds of medical professionals throughout the nation will face federal charges for alleged roles in various healthcare schemes that resulted in financial losses to the tune of billions. Federal officials claimed this year's so-called "National Health Care Fraud Takedown" was DOJ's largest healthcare fraud takedown in U.S. history. "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 U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. According to the department, 324 defendants will see charges in 50 federal judicial districts by 12 state attorneys general in California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wisconsin. The charges included some 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and other licensed medical professionals for alleged health care-related crimes that saw more than $14.6 billion in intended fraudulent losses. In addition, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said Monday it managed to stop fraudulent payouts totaling over $4 billion, and suspended or revoked billing privileges to about 205 service providers in the last few months. It arrived with news the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration charged in the last six months 93 cases in administrative court seeking an end to the ability of certain pharmacies, medical practitioners and other companies to doll out a controlled drug. The coordinated federal effort led by the criminal division of DOJ's health care fraud unit -- along with other enforcement partners such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, DEA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services -- took over $245 million in reported cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency and other seized assets. On Monday, FBI Director Kash Patel said with more than $13 billion in fraud uncovered, the sting was the "largest takedown for this initiative to date." It came with civil charges for 20 defendants for alleged fraud of $14.2 billion, civil settlements totaling more than $34 million against 106 other unnamed defendants, and charges for 74 others, which included 44 medical professionals in 58 cases of alleged diversion of more than 15 million prescription opioid pills and other controlled substances such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and carisoprodol. "Health care fraud isn't just theft -- it's trafficking in trust," acting DEA Administrator Robert Murphy said in a statement. The Justice Department added that 29 others were charged for transnational crimes after $12 billion in alleged fraudulent claims were filed with American health insurance companies in legal charges against 19 people in New York, Illinois, California, Florida and New Jersey. It included four Estonian defendants, attempts to flee U.S. authorities and a billing company owner based in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates who allegedly conspired with treatment center owners to fraudulently bill Arizona's medicaid program roughly $650 million. Murphy said Monday's announcement showed that the DEA will act "when doctors become drug dealers and treatment centers become profit-driven fraud rings." It arrived nearly a year to date after the Biden Justice Department announced a similar crackdown that saw 193 arrested, over $2 billion in losses and $231 million in seized cash in a conspiracy to distribute misbranded HIV drugs.
