Behn & Wyetzner, Chartered

Representing Qui Tam whistleblowers

  • Chicago’s Behn & Wyetzner
  • Whistleblower Attorneys | Chicago, IL | Behn Wyetzner, Chartered
  • Qui Tam Whistleblower Compensation Awards | Behn Wyetzner, Chartered
  • Our Clients
  • FAQs for Whistleblowers
  • History of the Federal False Claims Act
  • Retaining Chicago’s Behn & Wyetzner
Home / Archives for News

Supreme Court to Decide “Implied Certification” Issue

December 8, 2015

Medicaid Beneficiary Supreme Court Case - Behn & WyetznerSCOTUS to decide the issue of “implied certification” in Universal Health Services v. United States ex rel. Escobar

On December 4, 2015, the Supreme Court granted the defendant United Health Services’ Petition for a Writ of Certiorari to decide, among other things, the issue of whether the “implied certification” theory of legal falsity under the False Claims Act is viable.

Escobar involved a teenaged girl, a Medicaid beneficiary, who was treated by unlicensed workers who had held themselves out to be social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists, when they were nothing of the sort. Treatment by these workers led to the girl’s death when she was prescribed a drug that caused her to have seizures, one of which was fatal.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: General, Health Care Fraud, Interesting Cases, News

Historic Number of Medicare Fraud Arrests Made in June

July 2, 2015

Medicare Fraud Schemes - Behn & WyetznerThis June, federal officials announced  the largest coordinated criminal Medicare fraud action and the first large-scale effort  focused on Medicare Part D fraud  in the history of the U.S. Justice Department.  The Medicare Fraud Strike Force levelled charges against 243 individuals across the country accused of falsely billing $712 million to Medicare in a number of separate schemes. Those charged with fraud under the False Claims Act included 46 doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Health Care Fraud, News, Pharmacy Fraud

Senators Grassley and Leahy Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Whistleblower Laws

July 2, 2015

Whistleblower LegislationThis June, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy  introduced legislation to extend whistleblower protection for employees who provide information to the Department of Justice related to criminal antitrust violations.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Legislative News, News, Whistleblower Protection

Higher Penalties, Sentences Imposed in Qui Tam Whistleblower Cases

March 5, 2015

Support for Qui Tam Whistleblowers Programs | Behn & WyetznerAccording to a recent study published by Andrew C. Hall, Gerald S. Martin, Nathan Y. Sharp and Jaron H. Wilde, when qui tam whistleblowers participate in financial misrepresentation enforcement actions, the wrongdoers face significantly increased penalties and prison time.

The study’s authors analyzed over a thousand qui tam financial fraud enforcement actions between 1978 and 2012 and determined 145 cases (almost 13% of the total) involved whistleblower information. Due to whistleblowers’ assistance, the government obtained an additional $20.75 to $21.27 billion in judgments, the study estimates. Prison sentences for guilty corporate executives and managers also increased by roughly two years when qui tam whistleblowers were linked with the enforcement action. [Read more…]

Filed Under: General, News, Relator Experiences, Relator Issues, Securities and Commodities Fraud

SEC Division of Enforcement Breaks Record in Judgements Obtained

February 4, 2015

Record Number of Judgements for SEC Division of Enforcement | Behn & WyetznerThe SEC Division of Enforcement recently released its fiscal year 2016 budget request, providing a detailed account of the Division’s activities during FY 2014 as well as an estimated budget for upcoming years.

Of particular note, the Division set a record by obtaining judgments worth more than $4.16 billion in disgorgement and penalties. The Office of the Whistleblower received approximately 3,600 leads from whistleblowers (more tips than ever before), made the largest number of awards, and announced its largest single award ever to an individual ($30 million). During the same time period, the Division’s total costs came in around $455 million. Thus, for every dollar spent, the Division returned more than nine times that amount.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: News, Securities and Commodities Fraud

Department of Justice Announces Record Amount Recovered in 2014

January 26, 2015

Record Recoveries for DOJ in 2014 | Behn & WyetznerThe Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced that it has collected a record $5.69 billion in settlements involving fraud and false claims against the government for fiscal year 2014. The largest recoveries were in mortgage fraud and healthcare fraud, where the government obtained $3.1 billion and $2.3 billion respectively. Recoveries in qui tam whistleblower cases (actions brought by a whistleblower, known as a relator) totaled nearly $3 billion.

“It has been an extraordinary year for civil fraud recoveries, but the true significance is not in breaking records or making history; it is in the billions of dollars restored to the federal treasury,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Joyce Branda.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: General, Health Care Fraud, Housing and Mortgage Fraud, News

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2

Blog Topics

  • General (19)
  • Grant and Education Fraud (1)
  • Health Care Fraud (10)
  • Housing and Mortgage Fraud (2)
  • Interesting Cases (2)
  • Legislative News (2)
  • News (16)
  • Pharmacy Fraud (3)
  • Relator Experiences (1)
  • Relator Issues (1)
  • Securities and Commodities Fraud (5)
  • Tax Frauds (3)
  • Whistleblower Protection (3)

Blog Archives

  • October 2021 (2)
  • July 2020 (2)
  • May 2019 (1)
  • April 2019 (1)
  • February 2019 (1)
  • July 2018 (1)
  • November 2017 (1)
  • September 2017 (1)
  • February 2017 (1)
  • January 2017 (2)
  • December 2016 (1)
  • November 2016 (1)
  • July 2016 (1)
  • May 2016 (1)
  • January 2016 (1)
  • December 2015 (1)
  • September 2015 (1)
  • July 2015 (2)
  • June 2015 (3)
  • May 2015 (1)
  • March 2015 (1)
  • February 2015 (1)
  • January 2015 (1)
  • November 2014 (1)
  • January 2014 (1)
Do You Have a Case? How Can We Help? Act Now
10 North Dearborn Street, 6th Floor, Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312.629.0000
FAX: 312.629.0000
info@behnwyetzner.com
  • Firm Experience
  • Attorneys
  • Qui Tam Whistleblower Compensation Awards | Behn Wyetzner, Chartered
  • Our Clients
  • Whisleblower FAQs
  • False Claims Act
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
Website Design by ePageCity