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DOJ Charges Hundreds in Historic $14.6 Billion Fraud Scheme

The Department of Justice announced charges against over 320 people on Monday in schemes involving false medical claims against the federal government.

DOJ Criminal Division Head Matthew Galeotti said that the “defendants also attempted to swindle Medicare and other taxpayer-funded and private health insurance programs out of about $14.6 billion,” Fox News reported.

The federal investigations marked the “largest coordinated healthcare fraud takedown in the history of the Department of Justice,” Galeotti said.

The $14.6 billion figure doubles the prior record of $6 billion in fraud uncovered and prosecuted annually in the past, the DOJ said in a news release.

“These criminals didn’t just steal someone else’s money. They stole from you,” Galeotti argued. “Every fraudulent claim, every fake billing, every kickback scheme represents money taken directly from the pockets of American taxpayers who fund these essential programs through their hard work and sacrifice.”

He added, “When criminals defraud these programs, they’re not just committing theft. They’re driving up our national deficit and threatening the long-term viability of healthcare for seniors, disabled Americans, and our most vulnerable citizens.”

Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz noted that the schemes are “not done by small-time operators.”

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“These are organized syndicates who are designing to hurt America,” he said. “CMS is probably the largest target of all, responsible for about $1.7 trillion of disbursements. So it’s a big target on our side.”

The criminals get ID numbers from seniors and others, then use them to falsely bill the federal government, Oz explained.

He announced that CMS was setting up a fraud war room to combat those who would steal from these programs.

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One of the schemes outlined in the DOJ’s news release involved at least 20 members of a transnational criminal organization.

The group purchased dozens of U.S. medical supply companies.

“They then rapidly submitted $10.6 billion in fraudulent health care claims to Medicare for urinary catheters and other durable medical equipment by exploiting the stolen identities of over one million Americans spanning all 50 states and using their confidential medical information to submit the fraudulent claims,” the DOJ said.

In another instance of alleged fraud, a defendant based in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates allegedly “orchestrated a scheme to prey upon vulnerable individuals in need of addiction treatment by conspiring with treatment center owners to fraudulently bill Arizona Medicaid approximately $650 million for substance abuse treatment services.”

And in still another scheme, five medical professionals in Nevada and Arizona submitted $1.1 billion in fraudulent claims involving skin grafts to superficial wounds for vulnerable elderly patients, who did not need them, including some who were in hospice care.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said regarding the DOJ efforts, “This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers.”

She added, “Make no mistake — this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”

Randy DeSoto has written more than 3,000 articles for The Western Journal since he began with the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book “We Hold These Truths” and screenwriter of the political documentary “I Want Your Money.”

Birthplace

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Nationality

American

Honors/Awards

Graduated dean’s list from West Point

Education

United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law

Books Written

We Hold These Truths

Professional Memberships

Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars

Location

Phoenix, Arizona

Languages Spoken

English

Topics of Expertise

Politics, Entertainment, Faith

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