Author name: Barrett Johnston Martin & Garrison, PLLC

The Justice Department has announced the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, charging 455 defendants—including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals—with schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims. The operation represents the largest coordinated enforcement action in Department history, spanning 56 federal districts across 45 states and territories with 50 state Medicaid Fraud […]

Advanced Pathology Solutions PLLC, an Arkansas-based anatomic pathology laboratory, along with its management services organization and current and former owners Kevin Hannah, Donell Burkett, and Daniel Hunter Pledger, have agreed to pay $30 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act. The government alleged that from 2015 through July 2022, APS provided

A Louisiana nurse practitioner was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for her role in a scheme that caused more than $12 million in false claims to be submitted to Medicare for medically unnecessary cancer genetic tests. Scharmaine Lawson Baker, 59, of Fulshear, Texas, was also ordered to pay $1,508,868 in restitution and will

Journey to Hope, Health and Healing, an opioid treatment provider, and its former CEO, Kenneth L. Richardson, Jr., have agreed to pay $10.2 million to resolve allegations that they submitted false claims to Rhode Island Medicaid and Medicare for substance use disorder treatment services that were never actually provided. The settlement, announced by the U.S.

Three East Tennessee residents have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a multi-million-dollar prescription fraud conspiracy that targeted Medicare Part D and private drug plans. Barbara A. Smith, 75, of Powell, received 37 months imprisonment, while Jared Grant Riddle, 47, and Brian M. Woods, 48, each received 33-month sentences. The defendants were

San Francisco-based Circle Medical Care of California, Circle Medical Technologies, and their Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nicole Tsang have agreed to pay $3,325,000 to settle allegations that they submitted false claims to federal healthcare programs and California commercial insurers. The settlement, announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, resolves claims

A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida has indicted a Miami woman for allegedly orchestrating a years-long scheme to obtain and sell confidential Medicare beneficiary identifier numbers for use in Medicare fraud schemes. A related criminal information also charged a former employee of a major South Florida health care network with conspiring

A federal court has entered a default judgment of more than $3.4 million against a Nebraska pharmacist and her pharmacy for submitting fraudulent bills to Medicare and Medicaid. The judgment, issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska on May 29, 2026, came after Joan Kicken and AME P.C., doing business as

A Texas man has been sentenced to 90 months in federal prison for his role in a $59.9 million conspiracy to pay kickbacks and submit claims for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment to Medicare. Patrick Cassells, 65, of Fulshear, Texas, owned and operated three DME companies and concealed his involvement in one of those entities

Four pharmacies in Puerto Rico and their owners have agreed to pay a combined total of $4.6 million to resolve allegations of Medicare and Medicaid fraud. The settlements, announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, concluded a series of investigations conducted between February and May 2026. The government alleged that