DOJ Launches West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force: Federal Investigations in Arizona, Nevada, and Northern California
DOJ's Fraud Division announced the West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force on April 30, 2026, covering the District of Arizona, District of Nevada, and Northern District of California. Analysis of the $1.2 billion wound graft fraud prosecution, the $100 million Adderall telehealth fraud conviction, and the $650 million substance abuse Medicaid fraud indictment driving the expansion. How Strike Force investigations are built through data analytics, grand jury subpoenas, covert search warrants, and cooperating witnesses. Criminal statutes charged in Strike Force indictments including 18 U.S.C. 1347, the Anti-Kickback Statute, EKRA, and 21 U.S.C. 841. Defense considerations for individuals under investigation or facing indictment in Strike Force districts.
Operation Never Say Die: Federal Hospice Fraud Arrests and CMS Payment Suspensions
Eight defendants arrested and 221 hospice providers suspended in Operation Never Say Die. Analysis of the federal charges, CMS payment suspension procedures under 42 C.F.R. 405.371, and the strategic risks of responding to a suspension notice while a parallel DOJ criminal investigation may be active.
Hospice Fraud: On the Law-Enforcement Horizon
Federal hospice fraud investigations are escalating in 2025 and 2026. Scott Armstrong and Drew Bradylyons, two former Assistant Chiefs at DOJ’s Fraud Section, explain the scrutiny, investigations, and charges that hospice executives and certifying physicians face in these cases.

