component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: 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 . ###


title: Five Defendants Charged For Their Roles In Health Care Fraud And Illegal Drug Diversion Schemes

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: Today, United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian announced criminal charges against five defendants in connection with allegations that they defrauded Medicare and other federal health care benefit programs and illegally diverted drugs. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges stem from various schemes, including a doctor who submitted unnecessary claims for medical equipment, individuals who ran or participated in fraud schemes to obtain money from federally funded health insurance programs through false claims, and a nurse who diverted pain medication for his own use. “Fraud and abuse in our health care system all too often result in harm to the elderly and sick and a loss to the American taxpayer. The five cases announced today reflect the far-reaching impact of health care fraud and my office’s commitment to prosecuting schemes that target these vital programs,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. “We will hold accountable any person who chooses greed over patient well-being.” “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 Missakian 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 Northern District of California: Vincent Thayer , 41, of San Jose, California, was charged by indictment with wire fraud, health care fraud, and aggravated identity theft in connection with a $68 million medical office visit scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Thayer owned Patient Payment Agent, which did business as My Community Testing, and was a purported COVID-19 testing money. Through this company, Thayer caused the submission of approximately $68,205,233 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program, of which approximately $11,751,819 was paid, for office visits purportedly performed by medical professionals but that never occurred. Thayer also misappropriated the identity of a doctor to enroll his company in Medicare and Medi-Cal (California’s Medicaid program). The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Matthew Belz of the Los Angeles Strike Force and Lauren Randell of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Rezaei of the Northern District of California. Sevendik Huseynov , 47, a national of Azerbaijan currently residing in Sunnyvale, California, and the owner and CEO of Vonyes, Inc. in Sunnyvale, California, was charged by criminal complaint and arrested on June 26, 2025. The complaint alleges that the defendant committed health care fraud through a scheme to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare Advantage Organizations (“MAOs”) on behalf of unsuspecting beneficiaries for durable medical equipment (“DME”). The complaint alleges that Huseynov, from January 15, 2025, through June 16, 2025, through his entity Vonyes, submitted more than 7,200 claims to at least eight separate MAOs offering Medicare Part C benefit plans, and that those claims sought reimbursement of more than $137 million for DME such as back braces, knee braces, and wrist braces. The complaint alleges that certain of the purported beneficiaries contacted by law enforcement were not aware of the DME prescriptions and did not need the prescribed DME. The complaint also alleges that a healthcare provider listed as a referring physician on many billing claims had never prescribed DME supplied by Vonyes and that the patients listed on those claims were not his patients. The complaint also alleges that a review of bank records for Vonyes and Huseynov did not show any purchases of actual DME. At least $761,037.63 was paid to Vonyes, into accounts controlled solely by Huseynov, from MAOs during the scheme. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maya Karwande, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Clinton Johnson Christian , 38, of Fairfield, California, was charged by indictment with tampering with consumer products and intentionally obtaining controlled substances through deception and subterfuge in connection with diverting a controlled substance for his personal use. As alleged in the indictment, Christian accessed a machine that held hydromorphone by falsely stating a patient needed the controlled substance, removed a vial of hydromorphone, extracted the hydromorphone and re-filled the vial with saline before replacing the vial and cancelling the patient’s order. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan U. Lee of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Dr. Yasmin Pirani , 46, of British Columbia, Canada, was charged by indictment with health care fraud and false statements related to health care matters in connection with a $35.2 million telemedicine fraud scheme. As alleged in the indictment, in exchange for payments from a telemedicine company, Dr. Pirani signed prescriptions for DME that was medically unnecessary, for Medicare beneficiaries with whom she lacked a pre-existing doctor-patient relationship, without a physical examination, and without any conversation with the beneficiary or based solely on a short telephonic conversation. Dr. Pirani falsely diagnosed Medicare beneficiaries with certain conditions to support the DME prescriptions and falsely attested that the information in medical records was accurate, concealing that she did not have any interaction with the Medicare beneficiaries or that the interaction was brief and telephonic. The telemedicine company solicited illegal kickbacks and bribes from DME suppliers in exchange for DME prescriptions signed by Dr. Pirani, and the DME suppliers billed Medicare approximately $32.5 million based on Dr. Pirani’s prescriptions. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney S. Babu Kaza of the Midwest Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Shepard of the Northern District of California. Patrick Omeife , 33, of Ghana, was charged by indictment with two counts of concealment money laundering in connection with a scheme to launder approximately $33,765 that was fraudulently disbursed from a federal COVID-19 relief program and intended for an optometrist whose identity had been stolen. As alleged in the indictment, Omeife, falsely purporting to be a covert agent of the U.S. government, began an online romantic relationship with a woman and requested that the woman use her bank account to receive his salary. This woman provided Omeife with her bank account information, and her account was used in a September 2020 fraudulent application for funds from the COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund (“PRF”). The PRF provided funds to health care providers that were financially impacted by COVID-19. Based on the fraudulent September 2020 application, the PRF disbursed approximately $33,765 intended for the optometrist into the woman’s bank account. At Omeife’s direction, the woman converted the funds to Bitcoin cryptocurrency and transferred the Bitcoin to Omeife’s cryptocurrency account. Omeife repeatedly provided identifying information to his cryptocurrency exchange, to include his Republic of Ghana driver’s license and “selfie” photographs of his face and bare upper body, depicting a distinctive tattoo on his chest of the Bitcoin currency symbol. Numerous additional fraudulent PRF applications connected to the application made in the optometrist’s name resulted in at least $1.6 million of fraudulent disbursement of funds related to COVID-19 relief programs. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Babu Kaza of the Midwest Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina Green of the Northern District of California. “Healthcare fraud is not a victimless crime. It drains critical resources from healthcare programs, undermines public trust, and ultimately steals from American taxpayers. The FBI is committed to rooting out health care fraud in all its forms, working alongside our law enforcement partners to hold perpetrators accountable and protect the integrity of our nation's healthcare system,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani. “FDA is fully committed to the vigorous criminal prosecution of individuals who threaten the safety of U.S. consumers,” 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 who compromise patients’ health.” In addition to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, 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 from around the country; 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. The Northern District of California, in particular, worked with the Department’s Criminal Division and Health Care Fraud Unit 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations. 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.


title: Canadian National Sentenced for Possession of Sex Abuse Videos of Toddler and Prepubescent Boys

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Matthew Norman Ballek, 32, of Saskatchewan, Canada, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 46 months in federal prison in connection with distributing child pornography to an undercover law enforcement agent in January 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Ballek pleaded guilty Oct. 4, 2024, in the District of Columbia to a criminal information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography. The Honorable Reggie B. Walton ordered Ballek to serve six years of supervised release on completion of his prison term, and to register as a sex offender for a period of 15 years. He also may be subject to deportation proceedings and other adverse immigration consequences. According to court documents, in January 2024, a member of the FBI–MPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force was monitoring an online dating application in an undercover capacity. The application is sometimes used by individuals who have a sexual interest in children. Ballek contacted the undercover agent and, believing he was communicating with a pedophile, expressed an interest in child pornography. Ballek sent the undercover agent three video files via an encrypted messaging application. Those video files depicted adult men raping a toddler and prepubescent boys. Ballek was arrested in the District of Columbia on February 7, 2024. The FBI seized and forensically examined Ballek’s phone, which contained 10 unique videos and at least 21 unique still images of child pornography. Ballek was arrested February 7, 2024. This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ 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.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and MPD’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Shinskie. 24cr61


title: District of Arizona Charges 7 Defendants as Part of National Health Care Fraud Takedown

component: USAO - Arizona

number: 2025-106_Health Care Fraud Takedown

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine announced criminal charges against seven defendants in connection with alleged schemes to receive health care kickbacks and to defraud Medicare and Medicaid (specifically AHCCCS, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System). The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges stem from alleged schemes to obtain over $1.1 billion by the collective submission of approximately $1.65 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicaid and Medicare and the receipt of health care kickbacks and bribes. “Health care fraud doesn’t just steal money from taxpayers, it also degrades trust in the system Americans rely on to care for themselves and their loved ones” said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “I am proud that the District of Arizona, in coordination with the entire Department of Justice, is working hard to hold criminals accountable for putting ill-gotten gains above their community’s well-being.” “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 United States Attorney Courchaine 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 were charged in the District of Arizona: Farrukh Jarar Ali , 41, of Pakistan, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with an alleged $650 million scheme involving at least 41 substance abuse treatment clinics in Arizona. As alleged in the indictment, Ali owned ProMD Solutions (“ProMD”), a Pakistan-based company that provided credentialing, enrollment, medical coding, and billing services for outpatient treatment centers that were purportedly in the business of providing addiction treatment services for persons suffering from alcohol and drug addiction. Ali and ProMD credentialed and enrolled multiple substance abuse treatment clinics as providers with Arizona’s Medicaid agency, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (“AHCCCS”), but these clinics did not provide legitimate care to patients, many of whom were recruited from the homeless population or Native American reservations. Ali submitted approximately $650 million in false and fraudulent claims to AHCCCS for addiction treatment services that were not provided, were not provided as billed, were so substandard that they failed to serve a treatment purpose, were not used as part of or integrated into any treatment plan, and were medically unnecessary. AHCCCS paid approximately $564 million for these false and fraudulent claims. Ali also created false therapy notes for treatment that was never provided, and the clinics working with Ali provided these falsified records to AHCCCS in response to audits. Ali personally received approximately $24.5 million of AHCCCS funds as a result of the scheme, and he used $2.9 million of the funds to purchase a home located on a golf estate in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney S. Babu Kaza of the Midwest Strike Force, Assistant Chief James Hayes of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams of the District of Arizona. Cle’Esther Davenport , 51, of Peoria, Arizona, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States and receive and pay kickbacks, and receiving kickbacks, in connection with a substance abuse treatment scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Davenport owned a company, Davenport House LLC, that purportedly provided housing to individuals enrolled in health plans funded by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (“AHCCCS”), Arizona’s Medicaid program. Davenport received approximately $739,000 in illegal kickbacks to refer individuals to Tusa Integrated Clinic, LLC (“Tusa”), an outpatient treatment center that purported to provide substance abuse and behavioral health treatment to AHCCCS-insured patients, resulting in improper payments of approximately $1.58 million from AHCCCS to Tusa. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief James Hayes and Trial Attorneys Sarah Edwards and Lauren Randell of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams of the District of Arizona. Ira Denny , 56, of Surprise, Arizona, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicare by billing for medically unnecessary amniotic allografts that were procured through kickbacks and bribes. As alleged in the information, medically untrained sales representatives identified and referred elderly Medicare beneficiaries to Denny, a nurse practitioner, who applied amniotic allografts to the beneficiaries without exercising independent medical judgment and in the amount and frequency determined by the sales representatives. Medicare was billed approximately $209,359,607 for allografts ordered and applied by Denny, which were medically unreasonable and unnecessary, ineligible for reimbursement, and procured through kickbacks and bribes. Medicare paid approximately $138,590,922 based on these false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys William Hochul III and Shane Butland of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams of the District of Arizona. Tyler Kontos , 29, of Mesa, Arizona, Joel “Max” Kupetz , 36, of Scottsdale, Arizona, and JorgeKinds , 49, of Phoenix, Arizona, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with a $1 billion amniotic wound allograft fraud scheme. Kontos and Kupetz were also charged with transactional money laundering, and Kupetz was charged with receiving health care kickbacks. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants targeted elderly Medicare patients, many of whom were terminally ill in hospice care, through Arizona-based companies Apex Mobile Medical LLC, Apex Medical LLC, Viking Medical Consultants LLC, and APX Mobile Medical LLC to cause unnecessary and expensive allografts to be applied to these vulnerable patients’ wounds indiscriminately, without coordination with the patients’ treating physicians, to superficial wounds that did not need this treatment, and in sizes excessively larger than the wound. Kontos and Kupetz—neither of whom had any medical training—located elderly Medicare patients with wounds of any size or severity, ordered and recommended the ordering of allografts to be placed on the patients’ wounds, and referred the patients to Kinds and other nurse practitioners to apply the allografts. Kinds, a licensed nurse practitioner, applied whatever quantities and sizes of allografts medically untrained sales representatives ordered for the patients, without conducting an independent medical assessment, resulting in the application of numerous and inappropriately large allografts to single small wounds and wounds that required only traditional conservative treatment to heal. In just fourteen months, the defendants and their co-conspirators caused the submission of over $1 billion in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, CHAMPVA, TRICARE, and commercial insurers, of which over $600 million was paid. Kontos and Kupetz received illegal kickbacks for ordering and arranging for and recommending the purchasing and ordering of allografts, while Kinds received up to $1,000 for each allograft application. Assets were seized upon the defendants’ indictment, including cryptocurrency and bank accounts totaling more than $7.2 million. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys William Hochul III and Shane Butland of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams of the District of Arizona. Trial Attorney Yuliana Reyes of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Bozdech of the District of Arizona are handling asset forfeiture. Gina Palacios , 40, of Phoenix, Arizona, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicare by billing for medically unnecessary amniotic allografts that were procured through kickbacks and bribes. As alleged in the information, medically untrained sales representatives identified and referred elderly Medicare beneficiaries to Palacios, a nurse practitioner, who applied amniotic allografts to the beneficiaries without exercising independent medical judgment and in the amount and frequency determined by the sales representatives. Medicare was billed approximately $59,470,478 for allografts ordered and applied by Palacios, which were medically unreasonable and unnecessary, ineligible for reimbursement, and procured through kickbacks and bribes. Medicare paid approximately $28,442,271 based on these false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys William Hochul III and Shane Butland of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams of the District of Arizona. "The FBI takes the responsibility to investigate and pursue those who commit fraud for personal gain extremely seriously,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke. “Fraud and dishonesty undermine the integrity of our health care system and cost taxpayers’ money; but beyond that and most importantly, when funds are diverted from where they are truly needed, the people who are most vulnerable are hurt the most.” 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 Health Care Fraud Unit’s Website. The District of Arizona, 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 FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Department of Defense - Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, and the Texas Department of Health, 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. CASE NUMBERS: CR-25-00822-PHX-DWL, CR-25-0083-PHX-MTL, CR-25-00915-PHX-SMB, CR-25-00944-PHX-SPL, CR-25-00947-PHX-DWL RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-106_Health Care Fraud Takedown # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Tucson Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Possession of Methamphetamine

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Jose Fernando McCormick, 52, of Tucson, was sentenced on June 27, 2025, by United States District Court Judge Scott H. Rash to 120 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. McCormick previously pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. On October 3, 2024, McCormick drove to a gas station in Tucson with approximately 8 kilograms of methamphetamine in his truck. McCormick intended to deliver the drugs to someone at the gas station but fled when law enforcement officers tried to stop him. McCormick drove to a nearby neighborhood and jumped out of his moving truck causing it to crash into a nearby electricity pole. Soon after his flight, officers found McCormick hiding in a residential shed. 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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Culver, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR 24-07595-TUC-SHR (LCK) RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-107_McCormick # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Kenner Man Sentenced for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: 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.


title: Slidell Man Guilty of International Transportation of Child Sexual Abuse Materials

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that RICHARD ISLA TALENS (“TALENS”) , age 39, of Slidell, Louisiana, pled guilty to Transportation of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(1) and (b)(1). TALENS faces a mandatory minimum sentence of not less than five (5) years and a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years, and/or a fine of up to $250,000.00. In addition, TALENS faces a term of supervised release of no less than five (5) years and up to life after his release from prison, as well as payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. According to court documents, the case stemmed from an investigation by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) assigned to Dulles International Airport in Dulles, VA. CBP officers determined that TALENS knowingly transported an Apple MacBook computer containing images and videos depicting the sexual victimization of prepubescent minors from the Eastern District of Louisiana to Istanbul, Turkey, and returned with these illicit materials back to the United States. Special agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) joined the investigation and executed a search warrant at TALENS’s Slidell residence. The HSI agents found additional evidence depicting the sexual victimization of prepubescent children in TALENS’s residence. As a result, HSI agents arrested TALENS. Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for September 18, 2025 , before United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon. 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 . The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and the Slidell Police Department. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.


title: Former San Francisco Bank Employee Charged With Embezzling From Customer Accounts And Access Device Fraud

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury has indicted Sixto Christopher Porras with embezzlement of bank funds and access device fraud in connection with the alleged theft of funds from accounts belonging to two retail bank customers while he was employed with a bank in San Francisco. Porras made an initial appearance in federal district court this morning. According to the indictment filed June 17, 2025, and unsealed today, Porras, 32, of San Francisco, was an associate banker at a San Francisco branch of a large national bank. In or about August 2023, a retail bank customer visited the branch to complete a wire transfer. As the transfer was processed, Porras obtained from the customer the security personal identification number associated with the customer’s debit card. Unbeknownst to the customer, Porras kept the customer’s debit card. Porras allegedly proceeded to use the debit card to embezzle approximately $100,000 from the customer’s account. In or about September 2023, another retail bank customer visited the branch to address a fraudulent charge. As Porras assisted the customer, he obtained the security PIN associated with the customer’s debit card. Porras then caused the customer’s debit card to be reissued and sent to Porras’ San Francisco residence. Porras allegedly proceeded to use the debit card to embezzle approximately $340,000 from the customer’s accounts. United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office Special Agent in Charge Linda Nguyen made the announcement. Porras was released on bond. He is next scheduled to appear in district court on July 14, 2025, for identification of counsel before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Kang. Porras is charged with one count of embezzlement of bank funds in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 656 and one count of access device fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1029(a)(5). An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1 million for the embezzlement charge, and 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the access device fraud charge. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Rezaei is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Lynette Dixon. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by IRS-CI.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Participates In Record-Setting National Health Care Fraud Takedown

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – Today, United States Attorney Sigal Chattah announced criminal charges against two defendants in the District of Nevada in connection with 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. “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 alleged, the defendants – a registered nurse and a nurse practitioner – applied medically unnecessary allografts and received millions in illegal kickbacks from the fraudulent claims to Medicare and other health care benefit programs,” said United States Attorney Chattah for the District of Nevada. “Together with the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, we will pursue and hold criminals accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes.” According to court documents, the following individuals were charged in the District of Nevada: Paulino Gonzalez , 40, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was charged by information with conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay and receive kickbacks for participating in a $94 million scheme to order, recommend, and apply amniotic wound allografts in return for illegal kickbacks. As alleged in the information, Gonzalez, a registered nurse, received approximately $7,391,584 in illegal kickbacks from an allograft distributor in exchange for recommending the purchasing and ordering of certain allografts billed to Medicare. A wound care company paid Gonzalez to apply allografts, some of which were medically unnecessary, to Medicare beneficiaries. Between October 2021 and April 2024, the wound care company billed Medicare over $94 million for allografts applied by Gonzalez and others. Medicare paid over $54 million based on those false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Monica Cooper of the Texas Strike Force and Shane Butland of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Oliva of the District of Nevada. Mary Huntly , 67, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was charged by information with conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay and receive health care kickbacks for participating in a scheme to receive illegal kickbacks in exchange for purchasing and ordering amniotic wound allografts billed to Medicare. As alleged in the information, Huntly, a nurse practitioner, applied medically unnecessary allografts to Medicare beneficiaries that were procured through illegal kickbacks and bribes. From September 2022 through April 2024, Huntly’s wound care company fraudulently billed Medicare approximately $14,333,550, and Medicare paid approximately $9,105,563 based on those claims. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Monica Cooper of the Texas Strike Force and Shane Butland of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Oliva of the District of Nevada. 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.” “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.” “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." 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 information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Lockport man connected to global sex trafficking network going to prison

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: 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. # # # #


title: Rochester man who lured minor to hotel for sex pleads guilty

body_text: 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. # # # #


title: Webster man awaiting sentencing on fraud charge pleads guilty to new federal charges

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Timothy Siverd, 37, of Webster, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, which carry a maximum penalty of 22 years in prison and a $250,00 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, who is handling the case, stated thatbetween November 2022, and September 19, 2024, Siverd operated and controlled ROC Scrubby LLC, a residential and commercial cleaning services company. During that time, Siverd overbilled ROC Scrubby clients for cleaning services that were not performed. He would manually change appointments on ROC Scrubby’s booking software without client permission to increase the amount each client would be billed, however employees would not perform the more expensive services. He used, without lawful authority, client credit card numbers to overbill his clients. Siverd committed this offense while on supervised release for another financial fraud scheme. In April 2024, he pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud for his involvement in the separate scheme and is awaiting sentencing on that charge. The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter. Sentencing is scheduled for October 28, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.


title: Honduran Man Guilty of Illegal Re-Entry

body_text: 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).


title: Houma Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Distribution

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: 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.