FRESNO, Calif. — A total of eight defendants have been charged in a superseding indictment for submitting over $25 million in fraudulent unemployment insurance claims in the identities of inmates, minor children, and others to the California Employment Development Department (EDD) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictment was announced today by U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert following the arrest of all the defendants.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Zen Solutions Inc., located in Arlington, Virginia, has agreed to pay approximately $31,000 in damages and civil penalties to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining more than one Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in 2020. Zen Solutions also agreed to repay the duplicative PPP loan in full to its lender, relieving the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) of liability to the lender for the federal guaranty of approximately $192,000 on the improper loan.   

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander today sentenced Matthew Edward Blair, age 48, of Timonium, Maryland, to a year and a day in federal prison, followed by 18 months of supervised release, for payment of illegal remunerations to encourage independent marketers to refer federal health care related business to Blair’s pharmacy.  Judge Hollander also ordered Blair to pay restitution of $3,176,470.83.

            WASHINGTON—Two District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (FEMS) employees were arrested today on conspiracy and bribery charges for allegedly accepting payments from a District of Columbia contractor in exchange for directing purchase agreements and orders to the contractor and then falsely certifying that goods that FEMS had paid for had been delivered.

Ten people, including two medical doctors, have been indicted in a $300 million healthcare fraud, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.

The defendants – who stand accused of accused of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks, offering or paying illegal kickbacks, and soliciting or receiving illegal kickbacks – were charged in a 26-count indictment filed Wednesday afternoon.