Former CFO of Publicly Traded Brazilian Company Charged in Fraud Scheme
According to court documents, Fernando Passos, 39, of Brazil, allegedly executed the fraud scheme beginning in February 2020, after an investment company published a report questioning the accuracy of IRB’s financial statements and announcing that the investment company had taken a short position against IRB’s stock. IRB’s stock price dropped in the wake of the report. In response, Passos allegedly developed and executed a scheme to mislead shareholders and the investing public by disseminating and causing to be disseminated materially false information that Berkshire Hathaway had invested in IRB, despite knowing the U.S. investment firm had not made such an investment. Passos discussed his plans to spread this materially false information with IRB investor relations employees. In one text message described in the indictment, Passos stated, “I will spread this story that berk [i.e., Berkshire Hathaway] bought 28MM of shares,” and added, “then it becomes true.”
Physician Indicted in $10 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme
According to court documents, Elemer Raffai, 56, of Rome, between approximately July 2016 and June 2017, allegedly signed prescriptions and order forms via purported telemedicine services for durable medical equipment (DME) that were not medically necessary. Raffai caused these claims to be submitted based solely on a short telephone conversation for beneficiaries he did not physically examine and evaluate and that were induced, in part, by the payments of bribes and kickbacks to Raffai. The indictment further alleges that Raffai, with others, submitted or caused the submission of approximately $10 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for DME, and Medicare paid more than $4 million on those claims.
Former Paralegal Embezzled $600,000 from Chicago Firm, Funneling it into her own Student Loan, Mortgage Accounts: Feds
A former paralegal who worked in bankruptcy at a Chicago law firm is accused of embezzling more than $600,000 from accounts, officials said Thursday.
Becky Louise Sutton, 66, formerly of Park Forest, is charged with three counts of wire fraud and three counts of embezzlement from the estate of a debtor, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago.
Former OHA Employee Accused of Embezzling Nearly $1.5M in COVID-19 Vaccine Funds
A former Oregon Health Authority Employee was indicted on 21 counts in an embezzlement scheme of COVID-19 funds that added up to nearly $1.5 million.
According to Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, Marzieh Abedin was indicted on charges of theft in the first degree, six counts of forgery in the first degree, two counts of identity theft, five counts of aggravated theft in the first degree, five counts of aggravated identity theft, computer crime, and official misconduct in the first degree.
Disbarred Lawyer Robert Menard Sentenced to Six Months in Jail for Stealing or Mishandling About $1 Million
Disbarred lawyer Robert Menard, who prosecutors say pocketed or mishandled as much as $1 million from clients and his ex-law partner, was sentenced to six months in the House of Correction Thursday.
In an interview after the hearing Heitman declined to say exactly how much money Menard is believed to have stolen, saying the figure would be determined later at a restitution hearing. Menard was initially charged in 2019 and 2020 with pocketing about $1 million from clients and his former law firm partner.
I-Team: ‘Most Fabulous Office Manager Ever’ Accused of Embezzling from 3 Las Vegas Dentists
An office manager, accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from a dental office, stole money from two other Las Vegas dentists while awaiting trial, court documents obtained by the 8 News Now I-Team said.
Danielle Powers, 42, is charged with six counts of theft and five counts of embezzlement. In all, she is accused of stealing money while working for three dental practices across the Las Vegas valley.