Author Archives: Jay Butchko

DOJ Files False Claims Act Lawsuit Against Florida Based Medical Services Company
According to a report from Fierce Healthcare, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a False Claims Act whistleblower lawsuit against Modernizing Medicine, Inc. (ModMed) a healthcare software company with a main headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida. Based on allegations originally filed by a former ModMed representative from Vermont, the DOJ alleges that ModMed… Read More »

Florida Heath Company Will Pay $20 Million To Resolve False Claims Act Claim
On April 6th, 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that BayCare Health System Inc.—a nonprofit health care organization based in Tampa, Florida—will pay $20 million to settle a False Claims Act case. Several hospitals affiliated with BayCare Health System Inc. were also cited as part of the enforcement action. In this article, our… Read More »

False Claims Act Settlement: Florida Health Company Will Pay $24.5 Million
On April 12th, 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Physician Partners of America LLC (PPOA)—a pain management relief center based in Tampa, Florida—has agreed to pay nearly $25 million as part of a False Claims Act investigation. The company allegedly engaged in a number of different violations, including overbilling of a federal… Read More »

DOJ Charges Nearly Two Dozen In $150 Million COVID Fraud Schemes
According to a report from the Associated Press (AP), the Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced COVID-19 related fraud charges against 21 individuals in several different alleged fraud schemes. In its official press release, the DOJ emphasized that the crackdown occurred as part of a coordinated enforcement action. Here, our Florida COVID-19 fraud attorneys… Read More »

Private Bus Company Agrees To Pay $20 Million To Settle False Claims Act Lawsuit
On February 11th, 2022, the New Jersey Office of Attorney General announced that Academy Bus, LLC, a transportation company that provides services through the East Coast, agreed to pay more than $20 million to resolve a False Claims Act lawsuit. Notably, the underlying allegations of government fraud were initially raised by a whistleblower. The… Read More »

DOL Sues Florida Security Contractor For Whistleblower Retaliation
On February 14th, 2022, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) announced a lawsuit against VRP Group Inc. The Florida-based security services contractor does business under the name Regius Investigations and Protective Services. According to the allegations raised in the federal whistleblower complaint, the company unlawfully terminated an employee who blew the whistle on… Read More »

Federal Contractor Pays More Than $900,000 To Resolve False Claims Act Case (Health Care Billing Misconduct)
On March 8th, 2022, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a press release confirming that Comprehensive Health Services LLC (CHS)—a healthcare industry services contractor based in Florida—has agreed to pay the federal government $930,000 to resolve a False Claims Act (FCA) lawsuit. The claim was initially filed by a whistleblower. In this… Read More »

SEC Issues Several Whistleblower Awards In January 2022
The SEC Whistleblower program was created by an act of Congress in 2012. As of the end of January of 2022, there has now been $1.2 billion in financial compensation awarded to whistleblowers as part of the SEC’s program. The SEC issued several new whistleblower awards—totaling nearly $60 million in additional compensation—last month alone…. Read More »

Daughter Of Former South Florida Mayor Sentenced To Prison In COVID-19 Fraud Case
On January 31st, 2022, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed that Damara Holness, the 29-year-old daughter of the former Mayor of Broward County, has been sentenced to 2 months in federal prison for her role in a COVID-19 related fraud scheme. In this article, our Florida COVID-19 fraud lawyers provide an overview… Read More »

Former Panama Beach City Manager Paid More Than $130,000 In Whistleblower Settlement
According to a report from the Panama City News-Herald, Tony O’Rourke, the former city manager for Panama Beach, has agreed to settle a whistleblower lawsuit for in excess of $130,000 in financial relief. The lawsuit in question centered around Mr. O’Rourke’s termination in February of 2021, which reportedly occurred shortly after he filed a… Read More »