COVID-19 Relief Fraud Defense Attorney
The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on the economy for several years now. The federal and California state governments have put into place several relief programs for affected individuals and businesses to help ease the burden. Loans and relief funds have been offered to keep businesses afloat, avoid layoffs, and encourage continued operation and investment. Funds have been allocated to provide free COVID-19 testing and vaccine research.
Unfortunately, certain entities and individuals have taken advantage of these programs and misappropriated funds for improper purposes. Many innocent businesses in the healthcare industry and elsewhere have been embroiled in allegations and investigations of possible COVID-19 relief fraud, even when their actions were innocent or unintentional.
If you or your healthcare business has been accused of COVID-19 relief fraud or other forms of healthcare fraud in California, you need experienced, effective legal representation on your side. The compliance and healthcare fraud defense team at the Law Offices of Art Kalantar has your back. We’ve dedicated years to defending healthcare entities against all manner of fraud, kickback, and compliance allegations.
Whether you are facing investigation by the state or federal government, and whether the allegations concern one-off activities or more widespread conduct, we’re here to provide you with the legal defense you deserve. We’ll work to prove that the allegations levied against you are based on exaggerations, misunderstandings, mistakes, harmless errors, or even outright fabrications. We’ll fight to minimize the damage to your business, your reputation, and your life.
COVID Relief and Fraud Investigations
If you’ve been accused of fraud connected to COVID-19 relief funds, you could be facing investigation from multiple state and federal agencies. The federal Department of Justice (DOJ), in particular, has been very aggressive in prosecuting COVID-related fraudulent activity. Much of the enforcement has been focused on alleged violations of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), and unemployment insurance benefit claims. Beginning in the summer of 2021, the DOJ started to focus efforts on the healthcare industry in particular.
The DOJ issued a number of indictments of healthcare industry professionals starting in late May 2021, alleging a range of health care fraud schemes taking advantage of COVID-19 relief and other federal programs. The allegations pertaining to the healthcare industry go beyond incidents of abuse of PPP and other funds that have been alleged in other industries. In one indictment, for example, the DOJ alleged that the defendants had obtained confidential patient data by way of COVID-19 testing services and used that data to apply for Medicare benefits for unperformed tests and other services.
In light of the widespread fraud allegations, the DOJ created the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, dedicated specifically to enhancing enforcement efforts against COVID-19 related fraud. If your practice is under investigation by the DOJ, or if you suspect any of your staff or colleagues have committed any misuse of COVID-19 funds (intentionally or unintentionally), you need to act quickly to protect yourself and your practice. The COVID-19 relief fraud team at the Law Offices of Art Kalantar will help you undertake internal investigations, execute corrective actions, respond to agency inquiries, and defend against prosecution by the DOJ or other state or federal agencies.
Trusted and Effective Representation in COVID-19 Relief Fraud Investigations
If you or your healthcare practice is facing investigation by state or federal government agencies, you need to act quickly to protect your practice and, potentially, your freedom. Your business, your reputation, and your liberty may be at stake. Trust the Law Offices of Art Kalantar and our COVID-19 relief fraud defense lawyer for experienced, thorough, and effective legal assistance and representation with your healthcare law matters in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California.
Call 310-773-0001 to request a free case evaluation with the Law Offices of Art Kalantar in Beverly Hills.
