The owner of a drug testing lab was recently named in allegations of criminal wrongdoing. The Department of Justice has accused him of Medicare and Medicaid fraud in Florida. The 64-year-old is facing several complex legal challenges connected with the charges that were brought against him in October.
The founder of the company that provides drug testing services is said to have convinced doctors to erroneously require testing of Medicare patients for a variety of drugs that they were not likely to use. His company allegedly profited from at least $15 million in Medicare billings associated with tests for Angel Dust and other street drugs. The company is also accused of billing Medicare for more than 50 deceased persons and coercing medical staff by offering them luxurious gifts.
Several high-profile players on Wall Street reportedly loaned the drug testing company approximately $1.8 billion in 2014. The company owner is accused of personally pocketing a substantial portion of the loan. The loan was reportedly going to be paid back with proceeds from the alleged fraud scheme. The effects of the apparent loan-gone-bad have negatively impacted other high-profile entities, such as Google, Coca-Cola and Cornell University.
When billions, or even millions, of dollars are at stake, those accused of Medicare and Medicaid fraud in Florida will likely want to seek legal counsel from an experienced attorney. A legal advocate who has successfully litigated large profile cases would be able to investigate the details of such charges and help determine whether any personal rights have been violated by law enforcement agents or government officials. Because the legal process regarding such charges can be quite complicated, it may be in a defendant’s best interests to allow an experienced professional to speak and act on his or her behalf in court.
Source: mypalmbeachpost.com, “‘The Big Wink:’ How $1.8 billion loan boosted company’s founder”, Pat Beall, Jan. 12, 2016
