Over the previous 10 months, the Department of Justice has actually submitted criminal charges versus 10 accuseds for kickback schemes at substance abuse treatment centers in Orange County,California
The accuseds in these cases are substance abuse facility owners and patient employers who apparently, to name a few things, offered kickback payments for the recommendation of patients to substance abuse treatment centers, recovery houses or labs. These facility owners apparently appointed a worth to patients depending on the type of insurance the patients had and paid patient employers kickbacks for each patient the employers referred to their addiction treatment centers. The employers apparently got repeating payments for monthly the patients continued to receive supposed services from the centers.
” These cases show the ongoing efforts of the Department of Justice to combat scams by substance abuse treatment centers and patient employers,” stated Assistant Attorney general of the United States Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Wrongdoer Department. “These schemes capitalize of susceptible members of our society– addiction patients looking forhelp These cases highlight, the federal government’s dedication to safeguarding patients and prosecuting those who attempt to victimize them.”
” Driven by greed, deceitful operators of substance abuse treatment centers have actually attacked Southern California, however a union of police entities have actually reacted powerfully,” stated U.S. Lawyer Tracy L. Wilkison for the Central Districtof California “These corrupt people pay unlawful kickbacks to get guaranteed patients whose health plans pay generous benefits planned to cover genuine treatments and tests. While lots of recovery centers provide much-needed services to addicts, those targeted in this sweep capitalize of our country’s opioid crisis by sustaining a patient- offering network more interested in producing revenues than providing help to susceptible people.”
” The accuseds in these cases were more interested in drawing out revenues and making use of patients than assisting those in require,” stated Performing Assistant Director Jay Greenberg of the FBI’s Wrongdoer Investigative Department. “Kickback schemes weaken the stability of our health care system by rewarding a focus on revenues overpatient care The FBI and our police partners are devoted to safeguarding America’s health care system and the residents relying on it.”
” It is unconscionable when owners and operators of substance abuse centers abuse the systems created to help patients recuperate from addiction,” stated Unique Representative in Charge Amy K. Parker of the Workplace of Worker Management Workplace of the Inspector General (OPM-OIG). “We are incredibly happy of our devoted staff and federal police partner’s dedication to pursuing inappropriate and unlawful conduct that puts susceptible health care customers at danger.”
” The suspects in this case particularly targeted susceptible people in recovery and offered them as a product with no issue for their health or health and wellbeing,” stated California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. “Getting kickbacks for patient recommendations threatens lives and has no location in our health care system.”
Case Summaries
- According to court files on Dec. 16, Nick Roshdieh, 51, of Aliso Viejo, California, and Vincent Bindi, 66, of Laguna Nigel, California, owned Crest Recovery LLC, dba Truvida Recovery (Truvida), and were detained after being charged by indictment on Dec. 15 with conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks for recommendations to clinical treatment centers and paying kickbacks for recommendations to clinical treatment centers. Donald Vawter, 30, of Rancho Santa Margarita, California, was an staff member of Truvida and was charged in the indictment with conspiring to pay and receive kickbacks for recommendations to a substance abuse treatment facility and paying kickbacks for recommendations to asubstance abuse treatment facility Michael Hislop, 56, of Boston, Massachusetts, a patient employer, was likewise charged in the indictment with conspiracy to deal and pay kickbacks for recommendations to a substance abuse treatment facility and getting kickbacks for recommendations to asubstance abuse treatment facility If founded guilty, Roshdieh and Bindi deal with an optimum overall charge of 65 years in jail, and Vawter and Hislop deal with an optimum overall charge of 35 years in jail. The cases are being prosecuted by Trial Lawyer Alexandra Michael of the Los Angeles Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Lawyer Gina Kong of the Santa Ana Branch Workplace.
- Casey Mahoney, 45, of Los Angeles, and Joseph Parkinson, 32, previously of Costa Mesa, California, were charged by indictment on Oct. 6 for a multimillion-dollar addiction treatment kickback plan. According to court files, Mahoney controlled Recovering Course Detox LLC and Get Genuine Recovery Inc., addiction treatment centers in Orange County, and apparently paid roughly $2.7 million in kickbacks paid to Parkinson and other patient employers in exchange for addiction treatment patient recommendations. Mahoney is charged with conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks for recommendations to clinical treatment centers, paying kickbacks for recommendations to clinical treatment centers, and cash laundering for fraudulently moving kickback funds to an account held in the name of a patient broker’s mom. Parkinson, a patient employer, was charged with conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks for recommendations to clinical treatment centers, getting kickbacks for recommendations to clinical treatment centers, currency structuring, and ownership with intent to disperse fentanyl. If founded guilty, Mahoney deals with an optimum overall charge of 35 years in jail and Parkinson deals with an optimum overall charge of 165 years in jail. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Lawyer Benjamin Barron, Chief of the Santa Ana Branch Workplace, and Trial Lawyer Justin Givens of the Los Angeles Strike Force.
- Darius Moore, 28, previously of Santa Ana, California, was charged by grievance on March 29, and later on by indictment on April 28, with conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks for recommendations to clinical treatment centers and getting kickbacks for recommendations to clinical treatment centers. According to court files, Moore, a patient employer, referred patients to numerous addiction treatment centers in Orange County, in exchange for kickback payments from the centers and was paid not less than $488,500 in kickbacks in exchange for his recommendation of patients for supposed addiction treatment services. On Dec. 10, Moore pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks for recommendations to clinical treatment centers and one count of getting kickbacks for recommendations to clinical treatment centers. He is arranged to be sentenced on Might 13, 2022, and deals with an optimum overall charge of 15 years in jail. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Lawyer Benjamin Barron, Chief of the Santa Ana Branch Workplace, and Trial Lawyer Justin Givens of the Los Angeles Strike Force.
- Adrian Gonzalez, 37, of Laguna Hills, California, was charged by information on June 25, with paying kickbacks for recommendations to clinical treatment centers. According to court files, Gonzalez controlled Stone Ridge Recovery Inc. and Landmark Recovery LLC, addiction treatment centers in Orange County, and paid at least $1,080,000 in kickbacks to patient employers for the recommendation of addiction treatment patients to Gonzalez’s centers. On Aug. 6, Gonzalez pleaded guilty to paying kickbacks for recommendations to clinical treatment centers. He is arranged to be sentenced on Jan. 28, 2022, and deals with an optimum charge of ten years in jail. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Lawyer Benjamin Barron, Chief of the Santa Ana Branch Workplace, and Trial Lawyer Justin Givens of the Los Angeles Strike Force.
- Dorian Ballough, 30, previously of Costa Mesa, California, was charged by information on July 30 with conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks for recommendations to clinical treatment centers and getting kickbacks for recommendations to clinical treatment centers. According to court files, Ballough served as a patient employer for numerous addiction treatment centers in Orange County, for which Ballough was paid at least $1.8 million in kickbacks in exchange for his recommendation of patients for supposed addiction treatment services. On Nov. 12, Ballough pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks for recommendations to clinical treatment centers and one count of getting kickbacks for recommendations to clinical treatment centers. He is arranged to be sentenced on April 8, 2022, and deals with an optimum overall charge of 15 years in jail. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Lawyer Benjamin Barron, Chief of the Santa Ana Branch Workplace, and Trial Lawyer Justin Givens of the Los Angeles Strike Force.
- Kyle Reed, 29, previously of Huntington Beach, California, was charged by information on July 30, with conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks for recommendations to clinical treatment centers and getting kickbacks for recommendations to clinical treatment centers. According to court files, the charges relate to Reed’s function as a patient employer for numerous addiction treatment centers in Orange County, for which Reed was paid at least $604,474 in kickbacks in exchange for his recommendation of patients for supposed addiction treatment services. On Nov. 19, Reed pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks for recommendations to clinical treatment centers and one count of getting kickbacks for recommendations to clinical treatment centers. He is arranged to be sentenced on Might 6, 2022, and deals with an optimum overall charge of 15 years in jail. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Lawyer Benjamin Barron, Chief of the Santa Ana Branch Workplace, and Trial Lawyer Justin Givens of the Los Angeles Strike Force.
A federal district court judge will identify any sentence for the accuseds after thinking about the U.S. Sentencing Standards and other statutory aspects.
The Sober Houses Effort in Southern California is led by the Health Care Scams System’s Los Angeles Strike Force of the Wrongdoer Department’s Scams Area and the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the Central District of California, and was collaborated by Assistant Chief Niall O’Donnell of the Health Care Scams System and Benjamin Barron, Chief of the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace’s Santa Ana Branch Workplace.
The FBI Los Angeles Field Workplace, OPM-OIG, and the California Department of Insurance are examining the cases.
An indictment is simply an accusation and all accuseds are presumed innocent up until tested guilty beyond a sensible doubt in a court of law.