Investigative Press Releases
Monday, June 6, 2022
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago diagnostics company that provides home sleep testing will pay $3.5 million to the United States to settle a civil lawsuit accusing the company of defrauding Medicare and four other federal health care programs through kickbacks and unnecessary home sleep testing.
Friday, June 3, 2022
HARRISBURG, PA —The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Rodney L. Yentzer, of Cumberland County, has agreed to pay the United States $900,000 to resolve civil liability for alleged violations of the False Claims Act.
Friday, June 3, 2022
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Barry Wayne Hoover (51, Tampa) to 27 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $429,568.09 in restitution for theft of government funds and false statement to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). As part of his sentence, the court also entered a forfeiture money judgment against Hoover in the amount of $429,568.09, the proceeds of the offense. A federal jury had found Hoover guilty on December 3, 2021.
Friday, June 3, 2022
LOS ANGELES – An Orange County man has agreed to plead guilty to federal criminal charges that he fraudulently obtained more than $5 million in COVID-relief loans for three sham companies.
Friday, June 3, 2022
NEWARK, N.J. – The former administrative manager of a carpenters’ union pension fund today admitted embezzling approximately $140,000 and making false statements on a required report to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Friday, June 3, 2022
NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that NICOLE COCKERHAM (“COCKERHAM”), age 42, of Houma, Louisiana, pled guilty on June 2, 2022 to Theft of Government Funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.
Thursday, June 2, 2022
Tampa, FL – A Georgia woman was arrested yesterday in Hampton, Georgia, on criminal charges related to her alleged scheme to defraud Medicare by prescribing medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME), which was then billed to Medicare.
Thursday, June 2, 2022
BOSTON – The president of a local union representing Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to engaging in a fraud scheme to defraud the union by misappropriating $3,000 in union funds.
Marie LeClair, 59, of Lynn, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Aug. 16, 2022. LeClair was charged by an Information on April 26, 2022.
Thursday, June 2, 2022
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Los Angeles man was sentenced to federal prison today after he orchestrated an elaborate bank fraud and identity theft scheme targeting an elderly couple residing in Oregon.
Ijomah Joseph Oputa, 53, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. Oputa was also ordered to pay $40,396 in restitution and forfeit $32,478.
Thursday, June 2, 2022
CINCINNATI – A former insurance agent was arrested this morning on federal charges alleging he defrauded dozens of victims in the Cincinnati and Dayton area and fraudulently obtained two COVID Paycheck Protection Program loans.
Seneca Birchmore, 44, of Cincinnati, lost his license as an insurance agent in 2019 because he was writing insurance policies for people who did not want them so that he could collect the commissions.