Author Archives: Jay Butchko
What Is A Qui Tam Lawsuit?
Qui tam lawsuits are civil lawsuits that make a complaint of a false claim or fraud against a person or entity receiving federal or state funds. If the person or entity is liable, the whistleblower can recover a percentage of the recovery with the bulk of the recovery going to the federal program who… Read More »
Qui Tam Settlements Hit Record Highs In 2022
Qui tam litigation hit record highs in 2022 and is now creating an industry of attorneys who specialize in the very complex qui tam cases. A qui tam case is vastly different from a medical malpractice lawsuit. In a medical malpractice lawsuit, the plaintiff alleges they were injured by the defective practice of medicine…. Read More »
Florida Woman Faces 30 Counts Of Fraud
An Ocala woman is facing 30 counts of wire fraud after unlawfully writing checks to herself from her place of employment. As the bookkeeper for her employer, Julie Shepard, had direct access and authorization to write checks on behalf of her employer. However, the owner grew suspicious that money was missing and an investigation… Read More »
Two Men Sentenced For “We Build The Wall” Scam
Two men are headed to federal prison after duping investors to donate money to their “We Build the Wall” campaign. Brian Kolfage, an airforce veteran who lost was injured in Irag, formed a non-profit organization designed to raise money for completing the border wall. Mr. Kolfage, who lost both legs and part of an… Read More »
Phoenix Woman Gets 5 Years For PPP Fraud
A Phoenix woman who used her PPP loans to purchase luxury vehicles is now facing a five-year sentence in federal prison after her conviction on a fraud charge. While you can commit fraud against just about anyone, the federal government takes it personally when you defraud a pandemic relief program. In fact, there is… Read More »
Florida Leads Nation In Opioid Lawsuits Against Physicians
This may no longer be true, but as of 2019, the State of Florida accounted for nearly 25% of all opioid prosecutions filed against physicians. Such cases involved allegations of drug trafficking, fraud, medical malpractice, and even manslaughter in the cases of patient death. Of those, doctors were convicted of drug trafficking more often… Read More »
Doctor Convicted Of Opioid Charges Pins Hopes On SCOTUS Ruling
An Oklahoma doctor facing charges of unlawfully operating a “pill mill” decided to fight the charges at trial as opposed to accepting a plea after the Supreme Court raised the bar in lawsuits against doctors charged with opioid violations. According to the new rule, prosecutors must not only establish that the prescription was medically… Read More »
CARES Act Fraud Leads To 4-Year Jail Sentence For Georgia Woman
Congress passed the CARES Act in March 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other provisions, the CARES Act directed the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to issue eligible businesses Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to help them cover their payroll and other business obligations during the pandemic. This, in turn, has… Read More »
How Qui Tam Lawsuits Can Affect Florida’s Healthcare Providers
One of the more complicated types of civil lawsuits that you often see in Florida courts are qui tam actions. A qui tam lawsuit is a type of whistleblower claim under the False Claims Act (FCA). Basically, if someone has evidence that a person or company has violated the FCA–i.e., fraudulently obtained money from… Read More »
How Florida’s “Offer of Settlement Statute” Can Affect Settling Your Personal Injury Claim
As a general rule in Florida, each side in a civil lawsuit is responsible for paying their own legal fees and court costs. So even if you successfully sue someone, they are not then obligated to pay your attorney fees. There is, however, a critical exception known as the offer of settlement statute. This… Read More »
