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Ohio Medical Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Health Care Fraud Scheme

Source: US FBI

TOLEDO – Ankita Singh, 42, formerly of Maumee, Ohio, was sentenced to 26 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary, for her role in a durable medical equipment (DME) scheme that defrauded the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicare Program. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,470,931.02, serve two years of supervised release, and pay a special assessment fee of $600.

On Feb. 29, 2024, a jury found Singh guilty of six counts of health care fraud for signing false orders for orthotic braces, that patients never requested and did not need, as part of a DME scheme.

Beginning in 2019, Singh worked as an independent contractor for at least two companies, to purportedly provide “telehealth services,” and was paid a fee to conduct patient consultations. The consultations never took place. Telemarketers would cold call Medicare beneficiaries and tell them that orthotic braces would be provided to them at no cost. The beneficiaries were not previously Singh’s patients and she never spoke to them. Singh never saw them in person and did not conduct a telehealth visit. The telemarketers would prepare orders with the beneficiaries’ names, Medicare numbers, and purported diagnosis to support a false diagnosis that the braces were medically necessary. Orders were then electronically sent to Singh to affix her signature and certify that she was treating the Medicare beneficiary and affirm that the brace was medically necessary. Singh signed more than 11,000 prescriptions for orthotic braces for approximately 3,000 Medicare beneficiaries with whom she had no patient-physician relationship, and frequently ordered multiple braces for each patient, without ever having examined them.

As a result of Singh’s false orders, more than $8 million was billed to Medicare for orthotic devices that were not medically necessary. In all, Medicare paid approximately $4.47 million in claims for the fraudulent prescriptions that Singh signed.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gene Crawford and Angelita Cruz Bridges for the Northern District of Ohio. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – Office of Inspector General, and the FBI.

To report suspected health care fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement of HHS programs, visit https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/contact/ or call 1-800-447-8477.

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Rite Aid Corporation and Elixir Insurance Company Agree to Pay $101 Million to Resolve Allegations of Falsely Reporting Rebates

Source: US FBI

The Justice Department announced that Rite Aid Corporation and Rite Aid subsidiaries, Elixir Insurance Company, RX Options LLC and RX Solutions LLC, have agreed to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by failing to accurately report drug rebates to the Medicare Program. As part of the settlement, Elixir Insurance and Rite Aid will pay the United States $101 million, and RX Options and RX Solutions will grant the United States an allowed, unsubordinated, general unsecured claim for a total of $20 million in Rite Aid’s bankruptcy case pending in the District of New Jersey. The settlement is based on the companies’ ability to pay and was approved on June 28 by the bankruptcy court as part of Rite Aid’s plan of reorganization, which is expected to become effective later this summer. In addition to operating one of the country’s largest retail pharmacy chains, Rite Aid offered Medicare drug plans and pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) services through Elixir Insurance, RX Options and RX Solutions.  

“Participants in Medicare’s drug program must accurately report price concessions, including drug manufacturer rebates, to ensure that the government receives the benefit of those concessions,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement reflects the Justice Department’s commitment to hold accountable entities that pursue their own financial interests at the expense of taxpayer programs.”

“Rite Aid and its Elixir subsidiaries lined their corporate pockets with millions of dollars of manufacturer rebates that should have been reported to Medicare,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Each of those dollars could have been used to benefit Americans with genuine health care needs. Our office will not tolerate deceptive health-insurance practices, and we will vigorously pursue those who violate the FCA.”

Under Medicare Part D, private entities known as Part D Plan Sponsors offer and administer insurance plans that provide prescription drug coverage to enrolled Medicare beneficiaries. Part D Sponsors must submit annual reports to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with information about rebates and other remuneration the Plans received from drug manufacturers in connection with the Part D drugs provided to beneficiaries, which ensures that the government receives the benefit of any price concessions provided by drug manufacturers to purchasers of the drugs covered under the Part D plan. CMS relies on the reports in the annual reconciliation process that determines payments due to the Plans or CMS at the end of the year.

The settlement resolves allegations that, between 2014 and 2020, the defendants improperly reported to CMS portions of rebates received from manufacturers as bona fide service fees, even though manufacturers did not negotiate with the defendants to pay such fees. The United States further alleged that Elixir Insurance knew the retained rebates did not meet the regulatory definition of bona fide services fees.

“Truthful and accurate documentation in the delivery of health care goods or services is crucial to the integrity of federal health care programs,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Improper submission of manufacturer drug rebates and fees by Part D Plan Sponsors for pharmaceutical products in order to make more money will not be tolerated. Collaborating with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG is committed to preventing and investigating health care fraud in Medicare and other taxpayer-funded health care programs.”

The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought in 2021 under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act by Glenn Rzeszutko, who previously worked for RX Options. The FCA authorizes a private party to sue on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Rzeszutko v. Rite Aid Corporation et al., No. 5:21-CV-574 (N.D. Ohio). The relator’s share of these proceeds has not yet been determined.

Trial attorneys Christopher Wilson and Dan Schiffer of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson Froliklong for the Northern District of Ohio handled this matter. HHS-OIG and the FBI Cleveland Field Office provided substantial assistance in the investigation. Trial Attorneys Mary Schmergel, Gregory Werkheiser and Ryan Lamb of the Civil Division’s Corporate/Financial Litigation Section are handling the Rite Aid bankruptcy.

The settlements illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.

Settlement

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FBI Helps Public to Recognize Signs of Concerning Behavior

Source: US FBI

In Bid to Prevent Mass Attacks, the FBI Asks Public to ‘Talk to Someone You Trust’ if You Notice Concerning Behaviors

CLEVELAND, OH—FBI Cleveland and the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit are urging people to take notice when their friends, family, classmates, and coworkers show disturbing signs they may be on a “pathway to violence.”

Drawing on years of research on targeted violence and mass shooters—to include the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in 2022 in which 19 elementary school students and two teachers were killed—the FBI unit best known for its “profilers” is asking people to confide in someone they trust or respect when they see behaviors they think are concerning. Too often, the signs are ignored or dismissed because they are not recognized as potentially dangerous, or observers will directly confront the person they are concerned about, believing that alone will be enough to defuse concerning behaviors.

“We are focused on helping the public recognize threatening signs and report concerning behaviors. As bystanders, we might think we are overreacting when we observe something out of place or hesitant to say something for fear of appearing impulsive. The reality is that it is vitally important to report suspicious behavior, whether to the FBI or to local law enforcement,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen.

“Following a tragedy or crisis, we often hear “something needs to change.” Helping the public recognize the behaviors and adopt the prevention tips are the first steps to that change,” he added.

“Our goal is to get bystanders, who are the most important part of the prevention cycle, to be able to consistently identify concerning behaviors that are backed by research and experience,” said Taylor Cilke, a crime analyst in the unit of BAU that studies threats. BAU resides in the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group and is part of the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, which was established in 1984 to develop strategies to combat serial and violent crimes.

“In order to prevent a threat, we have to identify it, and we have to assess it, and then we have to take steps to manage it,” Cilke said. “The hardest part is that identification piece. And that’s where the public and potential bystanders can really help us empower our communities and force-multiply our work. But if we never identify the threat, we can’t assess and manage it.”

To that end, BAU this week launched a Prevent Mass Violence campaign that includes a new webpage and brochures containing tips and strategies to help potential bystanders understand what types of behaviors may be concerning and ways to respond. “The most important thing is to tell someone,” the webpage says. That may not necessarily mean law enforcement; it could be a school administrator, employee assistance peer, a boss, or someone else you trust.

“We’ve seen time and again that there are noticeable, observable behaviors,” said Brad Hentschel, a supervisory special agent in BAU, pointing to nearly three decades of academic research, along with BAU’s findings from studying mass violence events. “Mass shooters don’t just snap. Recognizing and reporting the warning signs of someone thinking about and preparing for violence can be lifesaving.”

According to BAU, some concerning behaviors may include:

  • Comments, jokes, or threats about violent plans
  • Repeated or detailed fantasies about violence
  • Comments about hurting themselves or others
  • Creating a document, video, suicide note, or other item to explain or claim credit for future violence
  • Seeing violence as a way to solve their problems
  • Unusual difficulty coping with stress
  • Increasing isolation from family, friends, or others
  • Angry outbursts or physical aggression
  • Obsessive interest in prior attackers or attacks
  • Changing vocabulary, style of speech, or how they act in a way that reflects a hardened point of view or new sense of purpose associated with violent extremist causes

Last spring, as the one-year anniversary of the Uvalde shootings approached, BAU developed and distributed brochures related to preventing mass violence. BAU-trained special agents who serve as threat management coordinators in their field offices and provided the brochures to school administrators, mental health providers, and the human resource departments of companies in their regions. These resources are meant to help communities identify concerning behaviors and take action to get help—before violence is imminent.

For a more comprehensive list of concerning behaviors, to include brochures—along with resources and research about targeted violence—please visit the new webpage at www.fbi.gov/prevent. The webpage and all the supporting information are provided to encourage the public to “be the key to preventing violence by talking to someone you trust.”

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Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Civil Disorder During January 6 Capitol Breach

Source: US FBI

            WASHINGTON – An Ohio man pleaded guilty today to a felony charge stemming from his conduct during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            Adrian Schmidt, 26, of Cincinnati, Ohio, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of civil disorder before U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes. Judge Reyes will sentence Schmidt on Sept. 10, 2024.

            According to court documents, Schmidt traveled from Cincinnati to Washington, D.C., to attend the former President’s rally on the National Mall. At about 12:50 p.m., Schmidt made his way to a line of barricades erected by U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officers around the Capitol building near the Peace Circle Monument. Here, Schmidt was amongst a group of rioters pushing on the barricades, which eventually led to the breach of the outer perimeter of the Capitol.

            After breaching the Peace Circle Monument barricades, Schmidt and the mob of rioters surged toward the Capitol, into the restricted area. Schmidt then stood on top of a small wall and yelled towards other rioters, “Our House!” and “Whose House?” Schmidt then made his way to the front of the mob that had gathered near a black metal fence on the West Plaza and jumped over the fencing as the mob surged forward toward a line of USCP officers.

            Schmidt again moved to the front of the mob and confronted the line of USCP officers on the West Plaza. He used his cellphone to record a video where he chanted, “Whose House?” Schmidt then turned towards the USCP officers guarding the West Plaza and said, “We’re right here (pointing at the ground). Whose platform? Our platform!”

            Court documents say that between 1:00 and 2:45 p.m., the mob on the West Plaza became more and more confrontational with the line of USCP officers. During this time, Schmidt again confronted the officers and, on several occasions, obstructed, impeded, and interfered with the USCP officers. Specifically, he pushed backward against police officers and their riot shields on the West Plaza.

            Following his confrontation with police, Schmidt made his way to the Upper West Plaza and, at about 2:45 p.m., entered the Capitol building via the Upper West Terrace Doors with his fist raised in the air as fire alarms from the doors were loudly ringing. Over the next two minutes, Schmidt traveled into the Rotunda, and entered Statuary Hall. At approximately 2:51 p.m., Schmidt exited the Capitol via the East Foyer Doors. He later reentered the building through the same doors at approximately 3:15 p.m.

            Schmidt remained in the East Foyer until he was forced out of the Capitol by officers at approximately 3:30 p.m. Schmidt remained on Capitol grounds, circling from the East Foyer to the West Plaza until the early evening of January 6th.

            The FBI arrested Schmidt on July 28, 2023, in Ohio.  

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio provided valuable assistance. 

           This case was investigated by the FBI’s Cincinnati and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 40 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,424 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 500 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

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Chicago Man Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking, Sextortion

Source: US FBI

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Omoruyi O. Uwadiae, 28, of Chicago, offered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court today to cyberstalking, sextortion and identity theft crimes. His scheme involved dozens of victims in multiple states, including Ohio, Colorado and Washington.

According to his plea documents, Uwadiae admitted to obtaining sexually explicit photographs and videos from potential victims and then using the content to threaten them. Uwadiae threatened to distribute the explicit material widely on the internet and specifically to victims’ friends, family members, employers and others.

The defendant demanded money from some victims. From others, he demanded they meet him, have sex with him, or make damaging admissions such as admissions that they were racist. On multiple occasions, Uwadiae carried through with his threats. He sent sexually explicit photographs and videos to the victims’ friends, family members (including at least one victim’s mother, at least one victim’s brother, and at least one victim’s sister), employers and acquaintances, and also posted sexually explicit photographs and videos widely on the internet.

Multiple victims had not publicly disclosed their sexual orientation, which Uwadiae’s actions disclosed, contrary to their wishes. The defendant also used victims’ identifications to create false accounts on social media and post personal information about the victims online.

Uwadiae targeted young gay men on Grindr and other online sites. He would obtain their sexually explicit photographs and videos consensually and then use them to extort. In some cases, he posted their nude images on Male General without their consent and then demanded money or other things of value to take down the images. Male General is a blog marketed to gay men containing, among other things, boards where users can post images and text.

For example, one victim was a student at The Ohio State University who communicated with Uwadiae on Grindr. Uwadiae ultimately demanded that the victim either pay him $200 or have sex with him. When the victim did not comply, Uwadiae created false social media accounts using true photos of the victim, stating, “this guy is gay, see pics for evidence.” The victim had not disclosed his sexual orientation to his family and had told Uwadiae he was concerned that his family would react negatively if they learned he was bisexual.

Uwadiae was charged in the Southern District of Ohio in April by a bill of information.

As part of his plea, Uwadiae pleaded guilty to 22 total counts. He pleaded guilty to eight counts of cyberstalking (punishable by up to five years in prison), seven counts of making interstate communications with the intent to extort (up to two years in prison) and seven counts of unlawfully using a means of identification (up to five years in prison).

Congress sets the maximum statutory sentences and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the guilty plea offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and Senior Litigation Counsel Heather A. Hill are representing the United States in this case, which was investigated by the FBI and the Columbus Division of Police.

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Former Children’s Hospital Employee Pleads Guilty to Sharing, Receiving Child Pornography

Source: US FBI

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Nationwide Children’s Hospital employee who treated child burn patients pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to downloading, exchanging and receiving child pornography.

Ryan Ramos, 38, of Columbus, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing and receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. He faces an imprisonment range of five to 20 years in prison.

Ramos worked at Nationwide Children’s Hospital from 2018 until 2020 and then at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in the ICU in burn trauma until 2023.

According to court documents, a 2020 FBI investigation in their Brooklyn-Queens office led agents to discover Ramos’s participation in a Signal app group dedicated to the exchange of child pornography.

Ramos shared hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse, including abuse of young boys and infants, to the chat group.

Further investigation into Ramos revealed that, in 2018, he had paid a sexual offender in New York City and received child pornography created by the offender in exchange for his payment. Ramos sent more than $500 via PayPal to the child exploiter.

Ramos’s iPhone contained more than 346,000 Signal, Telegram and other online chat messages, in most of which Ramos was distributing, seeking, receiving or discussing child pornography.

Ramos was charged by a bill of information on May 6 and pleaded guilty during his arraignment in federal court this afternoon. He is in custody pending sentencing.

Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.

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Licking County Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy Crime Involving Videos of Monkey Torture & Mutilation

Source: US FBI

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A plea agreement was unsealed today in which a Licking County man pleaded guilty to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.

Ronald P. Bedra, of Etna, pleaded guilty to conspiring to create and distribute “animal crush” videos.

According to court documents, Bedra conspired with others to create and distribute the videos that depicted acts of sadistic violence against baby and adult monkeys, including having digits and limbs severed and being forcibly sodomized with a heated screwdriver.

The conspirators used encrypted chat apps to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera. Bedra also mailed a thumb drive containing 64 videos of monkey torture to a co-conspirator in Wisconsin.

Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio made today’s announcement.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and FBI investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Mark Romley and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

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Pain Management Physician Sentenced for Unlawfully Distributing Opioids

Source: US FBI

An Ohio physician was sentenced today to seven years in prison for unlawfully distributing opioids from his clinic.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Thomas Romano, 74, of Wheeling, West Virginia, owned and operated a self-named pain management clinic in Martin’s Ferry, Ohio, to which individuals traveled hundreds of miles to obtain prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances. The prescriptions Romano issued for opioids and other controlled substances greatly exceeded recommended dosages and were in dangerous, life-threatening combinations that fueled the addiction of the individuals to whom he prescribed. Between October 2014 and September 2019, Romano prescribed over 137,000 pills, including opioids, benzodiazepines, and muscle relaxants, to nine individuals.

A federal jury convicted Romano in September 2023 of 24 counts of unlawfully distributing controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act.  

Principal Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio; Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit Field Division; Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.

The DEA, FBI, HHS-OIG, Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, and Ohio Board of Pharmacy investigated this case.

Trial Attorneys Devon Helfmeyer and Danielle Sakowski and Counsel Alexis Gregorian of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

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Chowan County Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Child Pornography

Source: US FBI

RALEIGH, N.C. – Kevin Lassiter, of Tyner, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for possession of child pornography after online CyberTips led local sheriff’s deputies to search his devices.  On August 5, 2024, Lassiter, 40, pled guilty to the charge.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, on September 27, 2023, the Perquimans County Sheriff’s Office received 12 CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).  Electronic service providers submit CyberTips to NCMEC to report users who possess child sexual abuse material on their systems.  A cloud-based storage provider for the Verizon network reported 12 CyberTips of a user uploading images depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sex acts between July 29 to August 25, 2023.

Investigators were able to link the tips, through an associate phone number, to Lassiter, and a residential billing address in Tyner.  Investigators confirmed Lassiter’s address and found that he was a registered sex offender after state convictions in 2013 for 3rd degree sexual exploitation of a minor in Carteret County. 

Later the same day, investigators obtained and executed a search warrant for Lassiter’s residence.  During a search with Lassiter present, investigators found a Samsung Galaxy phone on the stairwell that rang when they dialed the number associated with the CyberTips. 

Investigators seized a computer downstairs at a desk, which Lassiter admitted was his. The computer was connected to a USB hub with four cables plugged into it, but no devices connected to those cables. Deputies then found multiple hard drives under the desk. When they picked up a 6TB Western Digital MyBook hard drive, Lassiter called out that it was a router. After a deputy responded that it was a hard drive and would be seized, Lassiter became noticeably distraught and hung his head. 

During a recorded interview at the sheriff’s office, Lassiter admitted the device he claimed was a router was a hard drive that contained child pornography.  Lassiter explained that he would copy images from the hard drive to his phone.

A forensic review of the 6TB Western Digital external hard drive revealed approximately 10,000 files of child sexual abuse material.  The files included infants through teenage minors, with an estimated 90% of files depicting minors 10 years old or younger.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle.  The Perquimans County Sherriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-0014-BO.