Texas Strike Force
Together with federal and state law enforcement partners, the Texas Strike Force works to increase accountability in the health care industry by decreasing the presence of fraudulent providers; and to combat the opioid crisis by identifying and dismantling opioid diversion schemes.
Where We Are
Dallas
The Strike Force, operating in collaboration with the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, and the Eastern District of Texas and agency partners, has successfully prosecuted complex health care fraud schemes involving telemedicine, prescription drugs, genetic testing, and durable medical equipment (DME). The Strike Force has brought charges and, in many cases, obtained convictions against physicians and other medical professionals, laboratory owners, pharmacy owners, durable medical equipment company owners, and marketers involving fraud perpetrated against Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, CHAMPVA, and Department of Labor Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (DOL-OWCP), among other health care benefit programs.
Houston
The Strike Force, operating in collaboration with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and agency partners, has had tremendous success in Houston and South Texas investigating and prosecuting a variety of health care fraud related schemes involving prescription drugs, genetic testing, diagnostic testing, home health care, and psychiatric fraud; as well as opioid diversion schemes involving providers who are unlawfully dispensing and distributing controlled substances from clinics and pharmacies. The Strike Force is a leader in investigations and prosecutions related to opioid diversion, and has obtained dozens of guilty pleas and trial convictions of medical professionals, clinic and pharmacy owners, and drug traffickers. The Strike Force has also brought charges and, in many cases, obtained convictions against physicians and other medical professionals; clinic, laboratory and pharmacy owners; and marketers involving fraud perpetrated against Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, DOL-OWCP, and other health care benefit programs.
Involvement
The Texas Strike Force regularly participates in nationwide and statewide fraud enforcement actions, including the 2023 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action; the Telemedicine, Clinical Laboratories, and DME Enforcement Action; the 2021 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action; the 2019 Opioid Diversion Enforcement Action; the 2019 Texas Health Care Fraud and Opioid Enforcement Action; and the 2019 Operation Double Helix and Operation Brace Yourself Enforcement Actions.
Cases
Recent cases include:
- United States v. Hall et al. (N.D. Tex.)
- United States v. Bobmanuel (S.D. Tex.)
- United States v. Carpenter, et al. (N.D. Tex.)
- Indictment
- Press Release
- United States v. Lightner (S.D. Tex.)
- United States v. Canchola (N.D. Tex.)
- United States v. Rao (N.D. Tex.)
- United States v. Thompson (S.D. Tex.)
- United States v. Diggs, et al. (S.D. Tex.)
- United States v. Pierre (S.D. Tex.)
- United States v. Carr, et al. (S.D. Tex.)
- United States v. Harrington, et al. (E.D. Tex.)
- United States v. O’Hara (W.D. Tex.)
See below for more information on some of the Texas Strike Force’s recent cases.
- United States v. Simpson, et al. (S.D. Tex.)
- United States v. Emylee Thai, et al. (S.D. Tex.)
- United States v. Stewart, et al. (S.D. Tex.)
- United States v. Noryian, et al. (N.D. Tex.)
- United States v. Young (N.D. Tex.)
- United States v. Lyons, et al. (S.D. Tex.)
- United States v. Farizani, et al. (S.D. Tex.)