A Texas dermatopathology clinic has agreed to pay the United States more than $3.7 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting fraudulent lab claims to TRICARE and by knowingly concealing an obligation to repay the United States, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced a $16.4 million civil settlement with Essilor International, Essilor of America, Inc., Essilor Laboratories of America, Inc., and Essilor Instruments USA (collectively, “Essilor”), headquartered in Dallas, Texas, to resolve allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by causing claims to be submitted to Medicare and Medicaid that resulted from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute. 

ATLANTA – De’reek Banks has been sentenced for operating a scheme that caused approximately $48,000,000 in outstanding federal student loans to be fraudulently discharged by exploiting a program intended for disabled military veterans. Banks illegally pocketed about $891,000 in payments from more than 500 student loan borrowers. Many of these borrowers mistakenly believed that they had paid Banks for legitimate student debt relief services.

NASHVILLE – Patrick Martin, 51, of Gainesboro, Tennessee, was sentenced Friday to 15 months in prison for embezzling approximately $211,000 from the Community Prevention Coalition of Jackson County while serving as the Coalition’s Executive Director, announced U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin for the Middle District of Tennessee.

Martin was initially charged in May 2019 and pleaded guilty in August 2021 to wire fraud, failure to pay over employment taxes, and filing a false income tax return.