North Carolina woman sentenced to prison for Medicare fraud

1 week, 1 day ago

Southern California doctor sentenced to prison in multimillion-dollar hospice fraud scheme

LA Times

A Southern California doctor accused of bilking Medicare out of millions by billing for unnecessary hospice services has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison, federal prosecutors said. Dr. Victor Contreras, 69, of Santa Paula was charged with falsifying medical claims for hospice care between July 2016 and February 2019 — billing the federal insurance program nearly $4 million …

Medicare Million Contreras Hospice Fraud Scheme Prison Federal

1 month, 4 weeks ago

North Carolina GOP Files Ethics Complaint Over Description of Its Abortion Views

Slate

Three Republicans in the North Carolina Legislature have filed an ethics complaint against state Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs, a former civil rights lawyer who is running for reelection. Yet Riggs’ opponent, Judge Jefferson Griffin of the North Carolina Court of Appeals, had an attack ad ready to go referencing the “investigation” almost as soon as the ethics complaint was …

Justice Supreme Court Judges Ethics Court North Carolina Rules

2 months ago

America’s longest-held wrongly jailed woman is finally free

The Independent

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Missouri's top prosecutor has now lost …

Evidence Court Conviction Judge Bailey Clarke Horsman

2 months, 2 weeks ago

SoCal pair milked Medicare for $6 million in gold bars, other riches, feds allege

LA Times

Two people have been charged in a Medicare fraud scheme for submitting more than $54 million in fraudulent claims between March 2019 and August 2024 and received approximately $23,339,409 in payments on those claims. A Medicare fraud scheme ran by a Southern California duo involved multiple local medical facilities, foreign nationals, fake bank accounts and laundering millions of dollars with …

Medicare Fraud Claims California Prosecutors Million Gold Bars

6 months, 2 weeks ago

Five arrested over ‘sham hospices’ alleged to bilk Medicare for over $15 million

LA Times

The U.S. Department of Justice has announced the arrest of five people who allegedly schemed to bilk Medicare for more than $15 million. Federal officials announced that five people were arrested this week in Los Angeles over an alleged scheme to bilk the Medicare program of more than $15 million. The U.S. Department of Justice said three of the San …

Medicare Federal Alleged Federal Officials Hospice

7 months, 2 weeks ago

US Nurse Jailed For 380-760 Years For Giving Lethal Insulin Doses To Patients

News 18

Pennsylvania nurse Heather Pressdee, 41, received three consecutive life sentences and another consecutive term of 380-760 years behind bars for administering lethal or potentially lethal doses of insulin to numerous patients. Coworkers often questioned Pressdee’s conduct and said she frequently showed disdain for her patients and made derogatory comments about them, authorities said. … “I looked into the face of …

Court Pennsylvania Patients Pressdee

7 months, 3 weeks ago

W. Virginia and N. Carolina’s transgender care coverage policies discriminate, judges rule

LA Times

Connor Thonen-Fleck addresses reporters while his parents stand by his side, March 11, 2019, in Durham, N.C. West Virginia and North Carolina’s refusal to cover certain healthcare for transgender people with government- The Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 8-6 in the case involving coverage of gender-affirming care by North Carolina’s state employee health plan and the coverage …

Court Hormone Therapy Transgender Care North Carolina West Virginia

9 months, 3 weeks ago

Mississippi ex-governor expected stake in firm that got welfare money, says woman convicted in fraud

Associated Press

— Former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said at a party weeks before leaving office that he had been offered a financial stake in a company that received welfare money to try to develop a concussion drug and was connected to retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre, according to a new court filing by a person convicted in a welfare misspending case. …

Welfare Court Money State Favre John Mississippi

11 months, 3 weeks ago

Court reverses former Nebraska US Rep. Jeff Fortenberry’s conviction of lying to federal authorities

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — An appellate court on Tuesday reversed a 2022 federal conviction against former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska, ruling that he should not have been tried in Los Angeles. In its Tuesday ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit wrote that the trial venue of Los Angeles was improper because Fortenberry made the false statements …

Court Nebraska Los Angeles Los Angeles Federal Rep

1 year ago

Departing North Carolina Auditor Beth Wood pleads guilty to misusing state vehicle, gets probation

Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. — On her last day on the job, North Carolina State Auditor Beth Wood pleaded guilty Friday to two misdemeanors for misusing a state-issued vehicle for personal activities. Freeman told Ridgeway that in 2021 and 2022, Wood used her state-assigned car for more than a dozen trips to a hair salon in Fayetteville, North Carolina, more than 40 …

Car North Carolina Month Freeman Raleigh Wood State Auditor

1 year, 1 month ago

Alex Murdaugh pleads guilty to state financial charges

CNN

CNN — Disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh, already serving two life sentences for the murder of his wife and son, entered a guilty plea Friday to nearly two dozen state financial charges against him, including money laundering, breach of trust, conspiracy, forgery and tax evasion, as part of a plea deal his defense team negotiated with prosecutors. Lead prosecutor …

Financial Prison Money Laundering Victims South Carolina Charges South

1 year, 2 months ago

O.C. doctor charged with defrauding COVID healthcare program of $150 million

LA Times

An Orange County doctor was charged last week of allegedly defrauding a federal COVID-19 healthcare program for uninsured patients by submitting false claims in a scheme that netted him about $150 million, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. The grand jury indictment last week expands the case by increasing the total amount in fraudulent claims Dinh allegedly submitted and adding …

Healthcare Fraud Program Wire Fraud Dinh

1 year, 3 months ago

Man gets 2-year prison sentence in pandemic fraud case to buy alpaca farm

Associated Press

BOSTON — A former pizzeria owner has been sentenced to two years in prison for using over $660,000 in fraudulently obtained pandemic relief funds to buy an alpaca farm. After receiving the loan, McIntyre, formerly of Massachusetts, sold his pizzeria and used nearly all of the money to buy an alpaca farm in Vermont and eight alpacas, the U.S. attorney’s …

Pizzeria Mcintyre Vermont Man Gets

1 year, 5 months ago

Ex-Ohio GOP chair, lobbyist Matt Borges shows remorse, gets 5 years for role in $60M bribery scheme

Associated Press

CINCINNATI — Ohio lobbyist Matt Borges was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for his part in the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history. A jury convicted Householder and Borges in March, determining that Householder orchestrated and Borges participated in a $60 million bribery scheme secretly funded by Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. to secure Householder’s power, elect his allies and …

Ohio Republican Borges Householder Firstenergy

1 year, 5 months ago

78 people face charges for $2.5 billion in attempted health care fraud, DOJ says

NPR

78 people face charges for $2.5 billion in attempted health care fraud, DOJ says Enlarge this image toggle caption Samuel Corum/Getty Images Samuel Corum/Getty Images Federal and state law enforcement offices brought criminal charges across 16 states against 78 people for their roles in $2.5 billion in attempted health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes targeting the elderly, pregnant women …

Fraud Health Care Billion 78 People

1 year, 9 months ago

North Carolina auditor pleads guilty to hit-and-run

Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s elected auditor pleaded guilty on Thursday to a misdemeanor for leaving the scene of a December crash in which she drove her state-owned vehicle into a parked car. “I apologize to the people of North Carolina who have trusted me.” District Court Judge Louis Meyer sentenced Wood, 68, to about $300 in fines and court …

Court Accident North Carolina Freeman Meyer Raleigh Wood

1 year, 9 months ago

Woman serving life in prison for murder admits role in $2-million unemployment scam

LA Times

A female inmate is one of 13 people charged in May with running a scheme to get at least $2 million in mainly pandemic-related unemployment benefits. A woman serving life in prison for murder admitted Wednesday that she played a leading role in a scam by inmates and others to use stolen identities to secure state unemployment benefits during the …

Benefits Fraud Unemployment California Unemployment Benefits Demola

1 year, 9 months ago

N. Carolina legislators reach Medicaid expansion deal

Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina legislative leaders announced Thursday an agreement to expand Medicaid to hundreds of thousands of additional low-income adults through the Affordable Care Act. What a huge policy direction this is that will provide help for so many in this state, but it’s going to do it in a way that’s fiscally responsible.” Expansion gained momentum last …

Health North Carolina Expansion Senate Agreement Republican State

1 year, 9 months ago

Owner of addiction clinics faces health care fraud charges

Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The owner of a chain of clinics treating substance abuse disorders in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and one of the company’s employees, were charged Thursday with cheating health insurers out of millions of dollars while depriving patients of needed services, federal prosecutors said. Michael Brier, 60, the owner of Recovery Connection Centers of America, Inc., was arrested …

Care Rhode Island Fbi Island Massachusetts Cunha Rhode

1 year, 10 months ago

North Carolina Supreme Court hears felony voting rights case

Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s newly seated Supreme Court heard arguments Thursday on whether people convicted of felonies — tens of thousands statewide — should be permitted to vote if they aren’t in prison but still are serving probation or parole or have yet to pay fines. The court’s two new Republican justices featured prominently in an hour of questioning …

Law Trial Court Rights Voting Democratic Voting Rights

1 year, 10 months ago

Doctor gets nearly 17 years in prison for vast opioid scheme

Associated Press

DETROIT — A Detroit-area doctor was sentenced Monday to nearly 17 years in prison and ordered to pay $30 million for leading a scheme to bill Medicare and private insurers for unnecessary painkiller injections and write prescriptions for millions of opioids. Frank Patino’s fraud lasted years and was one of the most egregious health care schemes in U.S. history, prosecutors …

Patino

2 years, 2 months ago

NP pleads guilty in $4.4M health care fraud scheme

Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A nurse practitioner has pleaded guilty to fraudulently billing commercial health insurers and Medicare nearly $4.4 million for services that he never provided to patients as he had claimed, federal prosecutors said Thursday. Alexander A. Istomin, 56, routinely submitted fraudulent claims for in-person patient services that he falsely claimed to have performed at offices in Rhode Island, …

Patient

2 years, 2 months ago

Plea agreements reached by 4 in NC Congress ballot probe

Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. — Four people pleaded guilty on Monday to misdemeanors for their roles in absentee ballot fraud in rural North Carolina during the 2016 and 2018 elections. Dowless worked in the 2018 congressional race for then-Republican candidate Mark Harris, who appeared to have received the most votes in the general election for the 9th District seat in south-central North …

Congress Election North Carolina Harris Ballot Freeman Plea

2 years, 3 months ago

Former Mississippi official to plead guilty to state and federal charges related to welfare scandal

Raw Story

Former welfare agency director John Davis is set to plead guilty on Thursday to two federal charges and 18 state counts of fraud or conspiracy related to his role in the Mississippi welfare scandal, according to separate federal and state court filings. The new federal charges pertain to welfare funds Davis allegedly helped funnel to the companies of retired professional …

Welfare Charges State Federal Mississippi Davis Guilty

2 years, 3 months ago

Texts: Mississippi ex-governor knew of Favre welfare money

Associated Press

— Newly revealed text messages show how deeply a Mississippi governor was involved in the state paying more than $1 million in welfare money to Brett Favre to help fund one of the retired NFL quarterback’s pet projects. We will get this done!” Favre responded: “Awesome I needed to hear that for sure.” According to a previous court filing, New’s …

Money Nonprofit Million Mississippi Bryant Human Services Welfare Money

2 years, 3 months ago

Southwest Idaho woman gets jail, fines for Medicaid fraud

Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho — A southwestern Idaho woman who pleaded guilty to defrauding the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s Medicaid program by falsely claiming services to participants with developmental disabilities has been sentenced to 180 days in the Ada County Jail and must repay more than $146,000 in criminal restitution. The attorney general’s office said that Miller owned and operated …

Miller Medicaid Idaho Criminal Restitution

2 years, 5 months ago

Encino man sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for pandemic fraud

LA Times

An Encino man who tried to obtain $27 million in unemployment benefits by falsely claiming his business was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic was sentenced Tuesday to more than 11 years in federal prison. Robert Benlevi, 53, received a 135-month sentence following his March conviction for bank fraud, money-laundering and making false statements to a financial institution, the U.S. Department …

Pandemic Fraud Benlevi

2 years, 7 months ago

Convicted killer charged with heading COVID-19 fraud scam

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — A woman who is serving a life sentence for murder in California is charged with masterminding a $2 million fraud scheme involving COVID-19 unemployment money from behind bars, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. Natalie Le Demola, 37, is among 13 people charged with using stolen identities to apply online for — and receive — benefits from the California …

Fraud California Demola

2 years, 7 months ago

Mother, son plead guilty in Mississippi welfare misspending

Associated Press

— A mother and son who ran a nonprofit group and an education company in Mississippi pleaded guilty Tuesday to state charges of misusing public money that was intended to help some of the poorest people in the nation. Nancy New and Zachary New acknowledged spending welfare grant money on lavish gifts that included first-class airfare for John Davis, executive …

Welfare Money White State Federal Favre Son

2 years, 9 months ago

Congresswoman: US rep charged with lying to feds is ‘honest’

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — A Democratic congresswoman from California testified Wednesday that a Republican colleague from Nebraska who is charged with lying to the FBI over an illegal $30,000 campaign donation from a Nigerian-born billionaire is honest and honorable. … My sensibility is that he brings integrity to everything he does.” Eshoo was the first defense witness called at Fortenberry’s trial …

Congress Campaign Los Angeles Fbi Rep Gowdy Fortenberry

3 years ago

‘Unabomber’ Ted Kaczynski moved to prison medical facility

Associated Press

DENVER — The man known as the “Unabomber” has been transferred to a federal prison medical facility in North Carolina after spending the past two decades in a federal Supermax prison in Colorado for a series of bombings targeting scientists. Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski, 79, was moved to the U.S. Bureau of Prison’s FMC Butner medical center in eastern North Carolina …

Medical Prison North Carolina David Ted Unabomber Kaczynski Moved

3 years ago

Man sentenced in health care fraud from Mississippi, Alabama

Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A federal judge in Alabama on Thursday sentenced a Mississippi resident to 6 1/2 years in prison after the man pleaded guilty to federal charges tied to billing that pharmacies submitted to Medicare. During sentencing Thursday in Birmingham, U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler also ordered Minga to forfeit $7.1 million and pay more than $16.1 …

Medicare Care Man Pharmacies Mississippi Health Care Fraud Minga

3 years, 1 month ago

Judge delays prison for ailing figure in NC ballot probe

Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. — A judge on Friday delayed when the key player in an absentee-ballot fraud case in North Carolina must report to federal prison for crimes involving benefits fraud because of the defendant’s health issues. A State Board of Elections inquiry into the 9th Congressional District election in 2018, when Dowless worked for then-Republican candidate Mark Harris, led the …

Election Freeman Dowless Federal Term

3 years, 2 months ago

Eighteen ex-NBA players charged in USD 4M health care fraud scheme

The Hindu

Eighteen former NBA players were charged on Thursday with pocketing about USD 2.5 million illegally by defrauding the league’s health and welfare benefit plan in a scam that authorities said involved claiming fictitious medical and dental expenses. False claims The indictment said the scheme was carried out from at least 2017 to 2020, when the plan — funded primarily by …

Health Fraud False Claims Care Claims California New York

3 years, 3 months ago

NXIVM co-founder sentenced to 3 1/2 years in sex slaves case

The Independent

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Nancy Salzman, the former president and co-founder of NXIVM, …

Group Sentenced Raniere Nxivm Salzman Garaufis Keith Raniere

3 years, 3 months ago

Key figure in NC ballot probe gets prison for benefit fraud

Associated Press

GREENVILLE, N.C. — A key player in a North Carolina ballot fraud probe that led to a new congressional election was sentenced Thursday to six months in prison for obtaining illegal Social Security benefits while concealing payments for political work he performed. U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle also told Dowless he must pay $8,600 in restitution, according to the U.S. …

Social Security Ballot Dowless

3 years, 6 months ago

Former hospital exec, ex-detective husband get prison terms

Associated Press

BUTLER, Pa. — The former chief operating officer of a Pennsylvania hospital system and her ex-detective husband have both been sentenced to federal prison terms for embezzling more than $1 million from the wife’s employer. Federal prosecutors said Scott and Stephanie Roskovski used the stolen money for personal expenditures including expensive vacations, home improvements and lavish parties. Stephanie Roskovski, 50, …

Butler Prison Terms Stephanie Roskovski False Tax

3 years, 6 months ago

Former nurse who stole fentanyl used in surgeries sentenced

Associated Press

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A former Connecticut nurse who stole fentanyl from patients undergoing surgeries and substituted it with saline has been sentenced to four weekends in prison. U.S. District Court Judge Janet C. Hall also sentenced Donna Monticone, 49, to three months of home confinement and three years of supervised release on Tuesday. Testifying anonymously, patients who underwent surgeries …

Fentanyl Monticone

3 years, 7 months ago

California woman charged in alleged $6M Medicare fraud scam

Associated Press

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. — A Southern California woman faces criminal charges after she created fake home health care certifications leading to more than $6 million in fraudulent Medicare billings, federal authorities said. Lilit Gagikovna Baltaian, 58, of Porter Ranch, was arrested Thursday after authorities said she fraudulently certified patients to receive care from four separate home health agencies — two …

Medicare Care California Woman Health Agencies Baltaian

3 years, 11 months ago

North Carolina Covid nurse wins $1 million lottery

The Independent

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. A North Carolina nurse who has …

North Carolina

4 years, 1 month ago

Former ‘Full House’ star Lori Loughlin reports to California prison to serve two-month sentence in college bribery case

The Independent

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Lori Loughlin has reported to …

Prison California Free Sentence Mail One Count Loughlin

4 years, 3 months ago

Probe: Pandemic jobless pay went to Pennsylvania inmates

Associated Press

About 10,000 state prison inmates in Pennsylvania fraudulently applied for unemployment benefits during the coronavirus pandemic, prosecutors said in announcing charges Tuesday against 33 people. “These 33 defendants represent, truly, the tip of the iceberg, and we are seeing unemployment fraud on an unprecedented scale,” U.S. Attorney Scott Brady said at a news conference in Pittsburgh. Investigators recently were able …

Fraud Prison Pennsylvania Unemployment Inmates Shapiro Brady

North Carolina woman sentenced to prison for Medicare fraud

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