Fiscal 2015 collections from criminal and civil actions in the Western District of Missouri totaled $25.5 million.
Actions for the year ended Sept. 30 included a settlement by Mercy Springfield Communities and its subsidiary, Mercy Clinic Springfield Communities, and a consumer fraud scheme conducted by a Springfield telemarketing company, according to news release from the office of Tammy Dickinson, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri.
Roughly $10.6 million was collected through the seizure of assets, over $8.8 million was from criminal actions and $6 million was from civil actions. Another $4 million was received through cases pursued jointly by U.S. attorneys’s offices and the Department of Justice.
“The pursuit of justice involves not only prosecuting criminals, but being diligent to collect the fines levied by the court and restitution payments on behalf of the victims of crime,” Dickinson said in the release. “I am determined that criminals will not profit from their crimes, and that those involved in civil actions pay the government what they owe.”
In August, Mercy agreed to pay the federal government $5.5 million to settle allegations the health system violated the False Claims Act by improperly holding financial relationships with referring physicians.
The settlement brought to an end claims Mercy submitted false Medicare reports saying services were rendered to patients who were referred by physicians. The physicians allegedly received bonuses based on an improper formula that took into account the value of their referrals. Under federal law, hospitals and clinics are prohibited from having such financial relationships with referring physicians.
In November 2014, now-defunct telemarketing firm Dataline Technologies Inc. owner Richard Morsovillo admitted his company defrauded its customers by convincing them to buy ink cartridges through false representations and promises. The company agreed to paid $398,000 in restitution to victims, according to the release.
