Law Enforcement | WPN World People News

The Department of Justice, on April 4th, announced that three pharmaceutical companies – Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc (Jazz), Lundbeck LLC (Lundbeck), and Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Alexion) – have agreed to pay a total of $122.6 million to resolve allegations that they each violated the False Claims Act by illegally paying the Medicare or Civilian Health and Medical Program (ChampVA) copays for their own products, through purportedly independent foundations that the companies used as mere conduits.

A District of Columbia woman was sentenced to 54 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States and commit theft of public money and aggravated identity theft, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

A federal grand jury sitting in New Orleans, Louisiana, returned an indictment against two Louisiana residents, charging each with one count of conspiracy to harbor an alien, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, 48 counts of failure to withhold and pay over employment tax, and 12 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a fraudulent tax return, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser of the Eastern District of Louisiana.

A federal court in Beaumont, Texas, entered a permanent injunction against Sylvia Rodriguez, aka Sylvia Ornelas, barring her from preparing federal tax returns for others and owning or operating a tax preparation business, the Justice Department announced, on March 29.

A federal grand jury sitting in the Northern District of Alabama returned an indictment charging a Crane Hill, Alabama, husband and wife with five counts of failing to pay over payroll taxes, on March 28, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town for the Northern District of Alabama.

A federal jury found the owner of a now-defunct Chicago, on March 28, Illinois home health company guilty for her role in a scheme involving over $3 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for home health services that were procured through the payment of kickbacks.

Multiple challenges in strengthening EU cybersecurity remain despite the progress made, according to a new Briefing Paper from the European Court of Auditors. As the risk of falling victim to cybercrime or a cyberattack increases, it is essential to build resilience through strengthening governance, raising skills and awareness, and improving coordination, say the auditors. They also highlight the importance of meaningful accountability and evaluation to help the EU achieve its aim of becoming the world’s safest digital environment.

A real estate broker, who failed to file federal income tax returns for nearly 20 years and attempted to evade more than half a million dollars in income taxes, was convicted by a jury in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 18, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

Mizrahi-Tefahot Bank Ltd., (Mizrahi-Tefahot) and its subsidiaries, United Mizrahi Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. (UMBS) and Mizrahi Tefahot Trust Company Ltd. (Mizrahi Trust Company), entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the Department of Justice filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, on March 12, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Department of Justice’s Tax Division, First Assistant United States Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison, and Chief Don Fort for Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.

A Miami, Florida, certified public accountant (CPA) was sentenced to 39 months in prison for tax evasion, on March 7, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida, and Chief Don Fort, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).