Northern District of West Virginia Part of National Health Care Fraud Takedown Resulting in 455 Defendants Charged in Connection with Over $6.5 Billion in Alleged Fraud

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - Today, United States Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced civil settlements with two defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicare and Medicaid. The civil settlements are part of the Department of Justice's 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The settlements stem from each defendant's respective use of pre-signed, invalid prescriptions that were issued outside the usual course of his professional practice to his patients in West Virginia while he was traveling and not in close proximity to his office in West Virginia.

"Both here in West Virginia and across the country, the evidence is overwhelming: when health care providers seek convenience or profit instead of complying with the law, the public pays the price. These cases demonstrate the critical importance of coordinated enforcement-between this office, our federal partners, and the West Virginia Attorney General's Office-to identify violations quickly and act decisively," said U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. "We are committed to pursuing any provider whose conduct threatens patient safety or drains public health care programs. Today's actions make clear that we will not allow illegal prescribing practices, irresponsible handling of controlled substances, or fraudulent billing to go unchecked."

"This year's National Health Care Fraud Takedown represents the greatest whole-of-government effort to combat health care fraud in our Nation's history," said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. "Under the decisive leadership of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, and our law enforcement partners, this administration has ushered in a new era of enforcement that will safeguard taxpayer dollars."

The settlements announced today by U.S. Attorney Harvey are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today's Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI's Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a $1.2 billion telemedicine scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; seize over $182 million in cash, houses, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and provide full spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor's offices to corporate boardrooms.

Today's coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including:

• Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
• 48 civil monetary payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions and 25 DHHS-OIG actions under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
• Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
• 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since Oct. 1, 2025.

The following individuals reached civil settlements in the Northern District of West Virginia:

Muhammad Salman, 64, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, reached a civil settlement to pay $325,000.00 to resolve allegations that he and his company, Bridgeport Pharmacy, (1) violated the False Claims Act by submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid while he was traveling and not in close proximity to his office in West Virginia and (2) violated the Controlled Substances Act by using pre-signed, invalid prescriptions that were issued outside the usual course of his professional practice to his patients in West Virginia while he was traveling and not in close proximity to his office in West Virginia. The case was settled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie K. Savino of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of West Virginia, with assistance from the West Virginia Attorney General's Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Jorge Roig, 58, of Weirton, West Virginia, reached a civil settlement to pay $165,900.00 to resolve allegations that he violated the Controlled Substances Act by using pre-signed, invalid prescriptions that were issued outside the usual course of his professional practice to his patients in West Virginia while he was traveling and not in close proximity to his office in West Virginia and by collecting controlled substances without modifying his registration to become authorized as a collector and without keeping records of the disposal of controlled substances. The case was settled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie K. Savino of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of West Virginia.

"The message from the Trump administration is clear: the days of turning a blind eye to fraudsters stealing our tax dollars and harming Americans are over," said West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey. "Today's National Health Care Fraud Takedown is proof that we are delivering on that promise. The Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has been dedicated to rooting out fraud and are we thankful for the commitment from the top to help us stop this abuse and the misuse of pivotal funds intended to help our Medicaid recipients."

"Safeguarding the integrity of federal health care programs is central to our mission, and the results of this year's National Health Care Fraud Takedown reflect the strength of our collective commitment. The cases announced today demonstrate not only the scale, but the seriousness of the misconduct uncovered, ranging from patient harming schemes to multibillion dollar fraud operations," said Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General T. March Bell. "HHS-OIG will continue to pursue those who engage in such conduct and hold them accountable. I am grateful for the tireless work of our special agents and for the partnership we share with our federal, state, and local law enforcement colleagues as we work together to protect patients and preserve public funds."

"The DEA exists to stop the flow of illicit drugs into our communities and to bring drug traffickers to justice, whether they are working street corners or wearing white lab coats and prescribing legal medications outside of accepted medical guidelines," said Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott, head of DEA's Louisville Division. "I am proud of the work done by the men and women and DEA, and that of all our law enforcement partners to shut down healthcare fraud and hold bad doctors to account."

The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit's National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys' Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General's Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virigina participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today.

Descriptions of each case involved in today's enforcement action are available on the Department's website here.

The Northern District of West Virginia, in particular, worked with the Department's Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division and the following law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the Takedown: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and the West Virginia Attorney General's Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ("Fraud Division"). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department's work to combat fraud supports President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

Prior to the charges announced as part of today's nationwide Takedown and since its inception in March 2007, the National Fraud Division's Health Care Strike Force program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion. In addition, CMS, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.