Author: Elizabeth Blessing
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A Boston doctor got three years for Medicare orders on patients she never treated
Dr. Le Thu, 71, of Boston, was sentenced on Oct. 6 to 36 months in prison, three years, for signing Medicare orders for patients she had never treated. She was also ordered to pay over $27 million in restitution. Medicare paid more than $27 million on claims that came from her orders. Orders signed without…
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A Queens pharmacy owner accused of taking $31 million from Medicaid was caught at LaGuardia
Miguel Baron, 62, was walking onto a one-way flight to Toronto at LaGuardia Airport when New York state authorities arrested him. Prosecutors say the Queens pharmacy owner took more than $31 million from Medicaid and a related state drug program for HIV medicine. Attorney General Letitia James announced the arrest and indictment on Oct. 7,…
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An Arizona doctor who billed Medicaid for more than 1,700 X-rays on one patient in six months must repay $36.5 million
A Yuma, Arizona doctor was sentenced on Oct. 2 to 7.5 years in prison and ordered to repay $36,542,901.45 to Arizona’s Medicaid program, about $36.5 million. The case centers on clinics that billed for far more medical work than any patient could have received. One patient’s account alone was billed for more than 1,700 X-rays…
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A ring leader who stole 2,600-plus checks from Postal Service mailboxes got eight years
Michael Edwards, 31, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, was sentenced on Oct. 7, 2026, to eight years in prison for leading a check fraud ring that stole more than 2,600 checks from U.S. Postal Service collection boxes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said in its sentencing announcement that Judge John G.…
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Amtrak’s health plan paid over $11 million in fraudulent claims for care never given or not needed after workers sold their insurance details for cash kickbacks, and 19 people have pleaded guilty
Federal prosecutors in New Jersey say the Amtrak health care plan paid more than $11 million in fraudulent claims after health care providers paid dozens of Amtrak employees cash for their personal and insurance information. Nineteen people have pleaded guilty, and three more were sentenced this week. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of…
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Avast antivirus buyers who accepted a first FTC refund are getting 91,093 more payments worth over $1.5 million by check, PayPal or Zelle
Avast antivirus buyers are getting a second round of refunds from the Federal Trade Commission, and the agency says the money is going to people who accepted their first payment. The FTC’s Avast settlement page, updated in October 2026, lists 91,093 payments totaling more than $1.5 million. They go out by check, PayPal or Zelle,…
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Propane-heated homes in the Northeast are forecast to spend about $1,687 this winter, against $1,164 in the South, the Energy Department’s statistics agency says
Propane-heated homes in the Northeast are forecast to carry the largest propane bills of the regions the agency reports this winter. The U.S. Energy Information Administration, the Energy Department’s statistics agency, projects that households there will spend about $1,687 on propane from November through March, compared with $1,164 in the South. The figures come from…
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Older, widowed or disabled low-income Pennsylvania homeowners can get up to $1,500 from the state property tax and rent rebate, including an automatic supplement, if they apply by Dec. 31
Pennsylvania’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate gives older, widowed and disabled residents back part of what they paid in property taxes or rent, and homeowners at the lowest income level can receive up to $1,500 once an automatic supplement is added. The state Department of Revenue says applications for 2025 rebates must be postmarked by Dec. 31,…
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Ohio utility customers who are behind can keep or restore gas or electric service for $175 from Oct. 12, with no income test, under a state order
Ohioans who have fallen behind on a gas or electric bill can keep the service on, or get it turned back on, for no more than $175 starting October 12. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio issued the 2026-2027 Special Reconnect Order on September 30, and the state’s consumer advocate says there is no income…
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Michigan and Maryland winter shutoff protections start Nov. 1 and Indiana’s on Dec. 1, while Kentucky reconnects certified households for $200 or less
Four states have winter rules that decide whether a household behind on its gas or electric bill keeps the heat on, and they do not start on the same day. In Michigan and Maryland the protections begin November 1, and Indiana’s begin December 1. Kentucky works differently: once winter starts, a certified household can get…