Month: June 2022

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Security News: Pharmacist sentenced to over 15 years in prison

Source: United States Department of Justice News

ATLANTA – Thomas Ukoshovbera A. Gbenedio has been sentenced for illegally dispensing and distributing controlled substances from his pharmacy. After Gbenedio was found guilty by a jury, he attempted to flee the country to avoid prison.                                                                                               

“Gbenedio used his pharmacy as a pill-mill to supply highly-addictive narcotics to drug dealers and drug addicts,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “His greed exacerbated the opioid epidemic that continues to plague our community.  After the jury found him guilty, he then attempted to leave the country, but was quickly apprehended by law enforcement. Now, he will serve a significant prison sentence.”

“As the nationwide trend toward the non-medical use of prescription drugs swells, the need for an organized, immediate, and effective response increases correspondingly,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division Robert J. Murphy. “The abuse of a trusted medical professional (a pharmacist in this case) like Mr. Gbenedio will not be tolerated. He will now face the consequences of his unlawful acts.  This case is a perfect example of the success that can be achieved when DEA and its law enforcement partners work collaboratively confront, engage and eliminate the distribution of controlled substances by medical practitioners. Doing so will help to stem the tide against this country’s opioid epidemic.”   

“Justice is served due to collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement partnerships,” said Michael Yeager, U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Georgia.

“This investigation emphasizes the commitment of the FBI and our partners in combatting the opioid epidemic in our country,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The public must trust in medical professionals, and the FBI will continue to investigate those who abuse their responsibilities and endanger others by engaging in criminal activity.”

According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Gbenedio was a licensed pharmacist who owned Better Way Pharmacy in Mableton, Georgia. An investigation into Gbenedio began after Georgia Drug & Narcotics Agency (GDNA) agents conducted a routine inspection at Better Way and noticed that several of Gbenedio’s customers were driving long distances – including from Kentucky and Alabama – to get prescriptions filled at Better Way. Several of the prescriptions were for large quantities of highly addictive opioids, like oxycodone, and many of the prescriptions were purportedly from the same physician.

The investigation later revealed that the prescriptions being filled by Gbenedio between 2014 and 2016 were not real prescriptions; they were fake or fraudulent and otherwise illegal. Gbenedio charged his customers up to $1,000 to fill the illegal prescriptions for controlled substances.

After a two-week jury trial, Gbenedio was convicted of 70 counts of illegally dispensing and distributing controlled substances and one count of refusing an administrative inspection warrant.

Once the jury announced its verdict, Gbenedio was ordered to report to Probation for location monitoring. Instead of reporting, Gbenedio attempted to flee. He ultimately was apprehended at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport with the assistance of U.S. Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Thomas Ukoshovbera A. Gbenedio, 72, of Mableton, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr., to 15 years, eight months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $200,000.  Gbenedio had been found guilty by a jury on October 29, 2021.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, and Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Adams and Erin N. Spritzer prosecuted the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

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Security News: Muskegon Doctor Pleads Guilty To Billing For Office Visits She Never Performed And Agrees To Settle Civil Claims For Half A Million Dollars

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Physician restricted from future controlled substance prescribing

          GRAND RAPIDS – A Muskegon physician pleaded guilty on May 25, 2022, to a felony information charging her with one count of health care fraud.  According to court documents, Soaries Maxine Peterson, M.D., 68, billed Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield for services that she did not perform.  Dr. Peterson admitted that she billed for office visits for patients who came to her office, often to obtain monthly prescriptions for controlled substances, when she was on vacation out of state or when she was outside of the office performing other services.  During these encounters, patients met only with unlicensed office staff and no qualified health professional.

          As part of a global settlement, Dr. Peterson also agreed to pay the United States and the State of Michigan $500,000 to resolve her civil liability under the False Claims Act for the alleged fraudulent claims she billed to Medicare and Medicaid, as well to resolve her federal liability under the Controlled Substances Act related to her prescribing of controlled substances.  More specifically, the United States alleges that Dr. Peterson wrote prescriptions for controlled substances to her patients without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice.  As part of the investigation, Dr. Peterson surrendered her Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) registration for cause, and she has agreed to never reapply for a new registration, preventing her from ever prescribing opioids and other controlled substances in the future.

          “Health care providers who fraudulently bill for services they did not provide must be held accountable, especially when those services involve the prescribing of controlled substances,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten.  “The citizens of this district deserve better.  My office is committed to working with our federal and state partners to combat this unprofessional, unsafe, and unlawful behavior in Michigan.”

          “I appreciate the coordinated effort across state and federal agencies to reach this outcome,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said. “My office will continue to work with our partners to ensure providers who commit fraud are held accountable. Patients and all Michigan residents deserve better.”

          “The charges to which Peterson pleaded guilty describe a person who was more motivated by greed than by her duty to provide appropriate medical care to patients,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) in Michigan. “The FBI will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to investigate health care fraud committed by medical professionals who defraud federal health care programs and knowingly place their patients at risk.”

          “Providers who fraudulently bill federal health care programs and prescribe controlled substances without a medical need show no regard for the well-being of their patients and irresponsibly divert funds needed to care for beneficiaries,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”).  “Our agency will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable providers who engage in fraud and endanger the beneficiaries of our federal health care programs.”

          “Disregard for laws regulating controlled substances is what is fueling the nation’s overdose epidemic,” said Kent R. Kleinschmidt, DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Detroit Field Division.  “This reckless behavior will not be tolerated, and DEA is committed to pursuing anyone who fails to meet their prescribing obligations.”

          Dr. Peterson pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1347). She is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

          This case is being investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG, and DEA.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Hull represents the United States in the civil case, and Assistant Attorney General Stacy M. Race of the Michigan Department of Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Division represents the State of Michigan in its civil case.

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Security News: Federal Inmate Charged With Assault With A Dangerous Weapon

Source: United States Department of Justice News

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on June 7, 2022, Richard Anthony Trent, age 43, a federal prison inmate, was indicted by a federal grand jury for assault with a dangerous weapon.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on May 17, 2022, while an inmate at United States Penitentiary, Canaan (USP Canaan), in Wayne County, PA, Trent assaulted another inmate with a 7-inch grey metal weapon sharpened to a point and commonly referred to as a “shank”.  

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service.  Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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Defense News: NAVSUP FLC Norfolk Supports Ships Participating in Fleet Week New York

Source: United States Navy

NAVSUP FLC Norfolk arranges husbanding services for ship’s that pull into non-Navy ports on the east and west coasts of the United States, along with ports throughout the Caribbean, Central America, South America and Mexico.

According to Dave Biggs, a supervisory contract specialist who traveled to New York to provide onsite support, the husbanding team is responsible for a variety of goods and services ships need when pulling into a liberty port. The four person team helped provide transportation, utilities, force protection, communication and other services to USS Bataan (LHD 5) and USS Milwaukee (LCS 5), while providing additional services to Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic personnel supporting Fleet Week.

“This year is also the first year that Fleet Week New York has been supported by two different husbanding service providers,” said Biggs. “Having someone on ground helped serve as a good mediator between two companies that normally don’t work on-site with each other.”

Biggs added that planning for the event began in January with stakeholders from CNRMA, the participating ships, United Stated Fleet Forces Command, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, both the Navy and Marine Corps Recruiting Commands, the New York Police Department and many other supporting elements on hand.

“Due to the sheer number of units supporting Fleet Week New York, the early coordination allows for all parties to identify key players early on,” said Biggs. “This is critical when planning various sequence of events that not everyone may be tracking.”

He added that the coordination allowed him and his team to better understand the requirements and ensure all requirements make it to the solicitation and subsequent contract award.

“The most rewarding part of the experience is seeing your efforts allow the next generation of Sailors and Marines to experience what a ship looks like,” said Biggs.

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Defense News: Exercise Phoenix Express 2022 concludes in Tunisia

Source: United States Navy

The ceremony gave participating countries an opportunity to celebrate the successful completion of the multination maritime exercise featuring 12 allied and partner nations; Algeria, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

“Phoenix Express fosters trust between participating nations by promoting mutual understanding and cooperation,” said Capt. Eilis Cancel, exercise director, Phoenix Express 2022. “These established and tested partnerships help us overcome the challenges that threaten freedom and security in the Mediterranean Sea.”

Participants worked together throughout the exercise to increase regional cooperation, maritime domain awareness, and operational capabilities. Nations also exchanged information-sharing practices, enhancing efforts to promote safety and security in the Mediterranean Sea and territorial waters of participating North African nations.

Exercises like Phoenix Express 2022 allow participating nations to work side-by-side to better synchronize and rehearse for potential real-world scenarios. Throughout the exercise, North African and partner navies improved ship-to-shore and maritime operation centers (MOC) communications through realistic training scenarios involving human trafficking, drug smuggling, illegal weapons, and search and rescue scenarios that built interoperability and enhanced the overall maritime security environment.

“The multilateral naval exercise Phoenix Express 2022 is a valuable occasion to bring together friendly navies and associated maritime agencies to harness competencies and improve interoperability,” said Adm. Adel Jehane, Tunisian Navy Chief of Staff. “As we move forward together, we continue to build trust and comradeship to confront the multitude of security challenges in the Mediterranean Sea.”

Phoenix Express is one of three U.S. Naval Forces Europe-U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) facilitated regional exercises as part of a comprehensive strategy to provide collaborative opportunities amongst African forces and international partners that addresses maritime security concerns. 

For over 80 years, NAVEUR-NAVAF has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability. 

Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility.  U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations.