Articles & Posts | Hochfelsen & Kani, LLP

Whistleblowers Receive $1.75 million in False Claims Act Case Against California Doctor

June 14th 2022 – David Kani

Practicing medicine is usually an honorable profession, but not if the practitioner defrauds the government. A doctor in California, for instance, started padding his bottom line by falsifying claims made to Medicare and Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program.
Dr. Minas Kochumian, a...

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California False Claim Act Recoveries Top $2 Billion over 20 Years

June 13th 2022 – David Kani

California was one of the first states to pass a False Claim Act, enacting its law in 1987. Its law is also one of the most sweeping FCAs in the country, permitting qui tam lawsuits to expose fraud whenever the state or a political subdivision has provided a portion of the purloined funds. So, if a...

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$100,000,000 Award for BlockFi Crypto Whistleblowers

February 21st 2022 – David Kani

BlockFi Lending, LLC (BlockFi) has agreed to pay $100,000,000 to settle two enforcement actions brought by regulators from several states and the federal government. As the largest SEC fine in a crypto case, it included hundreds of whistleblowers providing information about BlockFi’s misdeeds...

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Sutter Health Agrees to Pay $90 Million in Settlement for False Claims Violation Case

September 2nd 2021 – David Kani

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has marked yet another milestone in its mission to curb financial crime and fraud, especially in the country’s healthcare sector.
Recently, the agency announced that it had reached a fraud case settlement with Sutter Health - a major medical...

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California-Based Medical Center to Pay $11.4 Million to Settle False Claims Act Case

August 16th 2021 – David Kani

False Claims Act cases in the United States have continued to rise, signaling increased commitment from the United States government to crack down on fraudulent companies looking to game the system to their advantage.
The latest in the line of these companies is the San Mateo County Medical...

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Justice Department Settles False Claims Act Against Alabama-Based Healthcare Provider

July 28th 2021 – David Kani

For decades, companies have been looking for ways to game the United States system and dupe the government. However, efforts to put these culprits behind bars have also been effective, with indictments and lawsuits going.
Last week, the government got another company that has been duping it...

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Texas-Based Health Company and Top Investor to Pay Millions in False Claims Act Case

July 23rd 2021 – David Kani

Alliance Family of Companies (Alliance) - a national electroencephalography (EEG) testing company based in Texas, has received a fine from the United States government after being found guilty of manipulating Medicare and Medicaid claims to get more money.
The settlement came about after the...

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Justice Department Settles False Claims Act Case with California-Based Interface Rehab Center

June 28th 2021 – David Kani

It has been another relatively successful month in the federal government’s mission to bring down bad actors and companies looking to defraud the American people.
Last week, Interface Rehab - a medical rehabilitation firm operating out of Placentia, California - became another notch on...

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Anti-Money Laundering Revisions Provide Enhanced Protections and Awards for Whistleblowers

January 23rd 2021 – David Kani

Modeled after a successful effort by the Securities and Exchange Commission, a new program will be implemented by U.S. officials to encourage more financial sector workers to come forward with information about money laundering risks.
Put into effect as part of the National Defense...

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SEC Awards Whistleblower More than $10 Million

September 17th 2020 – David Kani

On September 14, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced a considerable reward topping $10 million to a whistleblower whose information had led to a successful SEC enforcement action. The Chief of the SEC's Office of the Whistleblower, Jane Norberg stated, "This award recognizes the...

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