Reports

U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson sentenced Michael Akame Ngwese Ay Makoge, a/k/a “Hype” and “2Hype”, age 29, of Laurel, Maryland, yesterday to 53 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a wire fraud conspiracy and for aggravated identity theft, related to a Maryland and California unemployment insurance (“UI”) fraud scheme totaling more than $1.5 million. Judge Hurson also ordered Makoge to forfeit over $297,400 and to pay restitution of $2,094,319.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A California resident pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting wire fraud, which led to defrauding the federal government of approximately $114,066 in unemployment benefits during COVID-19, while he was living and working in Utah. He also admitted to aiding and abetting others to fraudulently apply and pay him as compensation.

ATLANTA, GA – Andrew (“Drew”) Maloney, 57, of Roswell, Georgia, has pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with conspiracy to pay health care kickbacks. The plea agreement is part of a global settlement with the United States and several states in which Maloney and the clinical laboratory that he owned, Capstone Diagnostics, of Atlanta, Georgia, have also agreed to pay $14.3 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they paid volume-based commissions to independent contractor sales representatives in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute to arrange for or recommend...

NEWARK, N.J. – A Bronx, New York, man admitted his role in a kickback conspiracy involving COVID-19 testing.

Jackson, Miss. – A Texas man was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to pay restitution for illegally obtaining more than $400,000 in government benefits.

U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that James Okolo, 61, of West Orange, New Jersey, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, was sentenced to 12 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.

As a result of Operation Fraud Street Mafia, a Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP) inmate has been charged in two separate federal complaints with drug trafficking and COVID-19 fraud. Seven defendants in California and Maryland are also charged in the two schemes.

Regina Brand was also ordered to repay the money.