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Strike Force Operations

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 at all levels in the distribution chain.

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, DME 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 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. The Strike Force is also a leader in investigations and prosecutions related to opioid diversion—the unlawful distribution and dispensing of controlled substances, including opioid drugs.  Most recently, the Strike Force prosecuted ten executives, sales representatives, and brokers of wholesale pharmaceutical distributors responsible for the distribution of nearly 70 million opioids and 30 million other commonly abused prescription drugs to pill-mill pharmacies in the Houston area.  These cases build on the Strike Force’s successful prosecutions of medical professionals, clinic and pharmacy owners, and drug traffickers who diverted prescription drugs.

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 2024 Pharmaceutical Distributors Enforcement Action; 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action; 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:

See below for more information on some of the Texas Strike Force’s recent cases. 

Updated November 20, 2024