The Justice Department has charged 193 people, including 76 doctors, nurse practitioners, and other licensed medical professionals in 32 federal districts across the United States, for their alleged participation in health care fraud schemes involving approximately $2.75 billion in intended losses and $1.6 billion in actual losses.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in the announcement that as part of the enforcement action, the government seized over $231 million in cash, luxury vehicles, gold, and other assets.
“It does not matter if you are a trafficker in a drug cartel or a corporate executive or medical professional employed by a health care company, if you profit from the unlawful distribution of controlled substances, you will be held accountable,” said Garland. “The Justice Department will bring to justice criminals who defraud Americans, steal from taxpayer-funded programs, and put people in danger for the sake of profits.”
The charges include allegations of:
- Over $900 million fraud scheme committed in connection with amniotic wound grafts
- Unlawful distribution of millions of pills of Adderall and other stimulants by five defendants associated with a digital technology company
- Over $90 million fraud committed by corporate executives distributing adulterated and misbranded HIV medication
- More than $146 million in fraudulent addiction treatment schemes
- Over $1.1 billion in telemedicine and laboratory fraud
- Over $450 million in other health care fraud and opioid schemes
The enforcement action was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners: U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), FBI, and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 32 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and 11 State Attorney Generals’ Offices.