Author Archives: Site Administrator
Feds Mull Joining Qui Tam Case Against Former Pro-Cyclist Lance Armstrong
According to the Wall Street Journal, officials at the U.S. Department of Justice have recommended that the federal government join a False Claims Act case reportedly filed in 2010 by Lance Armstrong’s former teammate Floyd Landis. All federal whistleblower suits are kept under seal, but an individual who has reportedly seen the lawsuit confirmed… Read More »
Ohio Hospital Agrees to Settle Whistleblower Case for $4.4 Million
EMH Regional Medical Center (“EMH”), a not-for-profit hospital in Lorain County, Ohio, and North Ohio Heart Center, Inc. (“NOHC”), an independent group of physicians, have agreed to settle civil claims that they violated the False Claims Act. The government alleged that EMH and NOHC submitted claims to Medicare for procedures that were unnecessary. Kenny… Read More »
Florida-Based Sleep Diagnostic Testing Company Agrees to Settle False Claims Act Case
American Sleep Medicine LLC (“American Sleep”) is the owner and operator of sleep diagnostic testing centers in 14 states: Alabama, Florida, Delaware, California, Illinois, Kansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, Missouri, Texas, Tennessee and Virginia. According to the Justice Department, American Sleep has agreed to pay $15.3 million to resolve allegations that it billed… Read More »
Florida’s Budget Cuts Cause State to Lose Federal Funds
The annual Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Report has been released by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration and Florida Attorney General. The report shows that cuts to the budget of the Florida Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (“MFCU”) have caused the state to lose $1.89 million of federal funds. Florida’s Medicaid program is the… Read More »
U.S. Court of Appeals Vacates Conviction of Pharmaceutical Salesman for Off-Label Marketing on Free Speech Grounds
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a 2-1 opinion invalidating the conviction of Alfred Caronia, a former sales consultant for Orphan Medical, Inc., now known as Jazz Pharmaceuticals. In 2008, a New York jury found Caronia guilty of conspiracy to introduce a misbranded drug into interstate commerce in violation of… Read More »
Victory Pharma, Inc. Agrees to Settle Qui Tam Case
San Diego-based pharmaceutical company, Victory Pharma, Inc. (“Victory”), has agreed to pay $11.4 million to settle civil and criminal charges that it violated the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and $9.9 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act. The charges stem from Victory’s marketing of the drugs Naprelan, Xodol, Fexmid and Dolgic… Read More »
Sanofi-Aventis Agrees to Settle Kickback Lawsuit
Sanofi-Aventis U.S. Inc. and Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC (collectively “Sanofi US”), two subsidiaries of French pharmaceutical company Sanofi, have agreed to pay $109 million to settle a qui tam lawsuit. The settlement resolves allegations that Sanofi US violated the False Claims Act in connection with the drug Hyalgan, a knee injection used to treat osteoarthritis… Read More »
Amgen Agrees to Largest Civil and Criminal False Claims Act Settlement in U.S. History
Fortune 500 company and biotech giant, Amgen, Inc., pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York to charges that it illegally introduced a misbranded drug, Aranesp, into interstate commerce. Amgen also agreed to pay $612 million to settle related civil allegations that it caused false claims to be… Read More »
Japan-Based Printing Ink Provider and U.S. Affiliates Settle Whistleblower Case
Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co. Ltd, Toyocolor Co. Ltd., Toyo Ink Co. Ltd. and Toyochem Co. Ltd. based in Japan and U.S. affiliates Toyo Ink Mfg. America LLC, Toyo Ink International Corp. and Toyo Ink America LLC (collectively “Toyo Ink”) have agreed to settle charges that they violated the False Claims Act. Toyo Ink… Read More »
Broward County Whistleblower Receives Million Dollar Payday
Weston resident Jason Wolk is the first private citizen to receive a payout under Broward County’s False Claims Act Ordinance. According to the Sun-Sentinel, Wolk, a former controller for USA Parking Associates, was assigned to work on contracts the company held for parking at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades. Bill Bodenhamer, Jr.,… Read More »