Washington (AP) In what they called the largest coordinated takedown of health care fraud schemes in Justice Department history, state and federal prosecutors charged over 320 individuals and discovered nearly $15 billion in bogus claims on Monday.
Prosecutors warned that international criminal networks are increasingly trying to take advantage of the U.S. health care system, and law enforcement confiscated over $245 million in cash, luxury cars, cryptocurrency, and other assets. Officials found offenders headquartered in Pakistan, Russia, Eastern Europe, and other nations as part of the extensive crackdown.
These thieves did more than simply embezzle money. Matthew Galeotti, the head of the Justice Department’s criminal division, told reporters on Monday that they had stolen from them. Money taken straight out of the purses of American taxpayers who pay for these vital services via their labor and sacrifice is represented by every false claim, phony invoice, and kickback scam.
In the Justice Department’s yearly fight against health care fraud, the estimated $14.6 billion in fraud is more than twice the previous record. More than 90 state cases and almost 190 federal cases that have been charged or unsealed since June 9 are included. 25 doctors were among the nearly 100 licensed medical practitioners who were accused, while the government recorded actual losses of $2.9 billion.
Authorities claim that one of the cases, a $10 billion urinary catheter scheme, demonstrates the increasingly complex tactics employed by multinational criminal organizations. The organization behind the scheme, according to authorities, employed foreign straw owners to covertly acquire dozens of medical supply firms. They then filed fictitious Medicare claims using stolen names and private health information.
Prosecutors claimed that 19 individuals have been indicted in connection with the investigation, which officials called Operation Gold Rush. Four of the suspects were caught in Estonia, and seven others were arrested at U.S. airports and at the Mexican border. The Justice Department claims that over a million Americans’ identities and personal data were taken in the conspiracy.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, stated that it is not carried out by amateurs. These organized syndicates are planning to harm the United States.
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