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Helicopter Tour of downtown Miami
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Fraud Cases
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MEDICAID FRAUD
United States v. (Health Care Provider Company)
Our office was retained by the United States Attorneys Office in Miami to conduct a civil investigation into Medicaid fraud. We interviewed numerous doctors regarding treatment plan verification and signature verification. We conducted the asset investigation upon the corporation and principals. This was the first case in Florida where the Justice Department civilly sued a company involved in Medicaid fraud. Business Week Magazine assigned a reporter to follow the story and write the article. The objective was to obtain treble punitive damages. The government seized $100,000. and the principals were prohibited from working in the healthcare industry for a period of three years.
FRAUD TO INDUCE A SETTLEMENT
John Doe v. Veterans Administration Hospital
The United States Attorneys Office in Miami retained us to investigate a tip concerning a medical malpractice case. The plaintiff was about to receive a large settlement as a result of a lawsuit against the hospital. The tipster indicated that the plaintiff was not as disabled as he had maintained. We obtained several statements that verified the tipster's statement and contributed towards a substantial reduction in the settlement.
CARGO THEFT / EMPLOYEE THEFT
We were retained by an insurance company that had possible exposure in the theft of over one million dollars in computer components from a warehouse at Miami International Airport. The police were able to quickly identify the perpetrators as employees. A video camera had caught a white step-van complete with company logo in the area at the time of the heist. We were retained to sort out the circumstances and companies involved in the transport and shipping of the product in order to allocate responsibility relating to coverage issues. We worked with and received the cooperation of the Metro Dade Police Department Robbery Division. A Task Force has since been put in place due to the large amount of cargo theft in South Florida.
EMPLOYEE THEFT / EMBEZZLEMENT
Due to poor internal controls, inadequate inventory records , and greed, an employee was selling used engines and transmissions for cash without management's authorization or knowledge. The cash deposits never reached company accounts. Our investigation revealed a customer who had paid thousands of dollars in cash to a single employee. The investigation also revealed that the employee had been involved in the similar illicit activity for the same company in two prior positions in other states. The company has since tightened up its procedures and we have met with police detectives per our client's urging in order to turn over our reports to the Economic Crime Division. The company has been counseled to perform employee screening on all prospective employees.
CONTRACT FRAUD
A South Florida import/export company faced serious financial consequences as a result of contract penalty clauses with their overseas client. They brokered a transaction with a large foreign agricultural concern for $2.3 million in frozen chickens. Unfortunately, they chose the wrong chicken supplier in California. The foreign firm wired over $150,000 to California and has yet to receive one frozen chicken. Our firm was retained, and we confirmed our client's worse suspicions. The supplier, and its principals had been involved in other scams and was a defendant in several fraud related lawsuits in Illinois and California. A good lesson learned, besides don't rely on a listing in Who's Who in Poultry, is to hire the investigative firm prior to the transaction.
EMPLOYEE THEFT / EMBEZZLEMENT
Our firm was retained by the president of the U.S. subsidiary of a multi-national corporation involved in heavy construction machinery. A sales representative who was not producing sales as usual was producing an impressive amount of travel expenses. With a sales territory of the Western Hemisphere, the company was accustomed to large monthly travel vouchers. In nine months, this non-productive employee ran up $180,000. in travel expenses. Investigation and confirmation with airlines, travel agents and others revealed $160,000 in bogus travel vouchers. We also discovered a very suspect relationship with a female independent sub-contractor at the travel agency where all of the tickets had been purchased. The employee has since been fired and is currently paying restitution.
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