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Cheyenne, Wyo. Autism Clinic Fraud Case Ends With Prison and Restitution Orders
A healthcare fraud case tied to a Cheyenne autism clinic has ended with sentencing and restitution orders in federal court. According to a Wyoming Department of Justice news release, the case involves The Olive Branch, LLC, an autism clinic based in Cheyenne.
Prosecutors say the clinic’s owner, 47-year-old Tera Marie Campbell, and her daughter, 27-year-old Taylor Ann Krauss, both from Florida, were sentenced following a fraud investigation involving Wyoming Medicaid claims. Officials say the scheme included fraudulent billing for uncertified care, upcoded claims for higher-paying services, and billing for services that did not occur.
“Medicaid fraud steals taxpayer dollars from programs that millions of Americans depend on and undermines care for vulnerable patients,” said U.S. Attorney Darin Smith. Court records show Campbell was sentenced to 36 months in prison, while Krauss received two years of home confinement. Both were also ordered to repay more than 800,000 dollars in restitution. Authorities say the case has now concluded with sentencing.
Trump Pardons Violators of the Clean Air Act and a Major Donor
The White House announced on Friday that President Trump had issued pardons to 11 men, most of whom had been convicted of crimes related to the Clean Air Act, a bedrock environmental law. The president also pardoned Adam Kidan, a major donor to Republicans, including Mr. Trump. He had served about two and a half years in prison for his role in a fraud scheme involving the disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
The Clean Air Act pardons benefited people who had sold or installed devices for diesel trucks that defeated their emissions controls, making them far more polluting. It was the latest move by the Trump administration to undermine laws intended to fight climate change and curb air pollutants that harm human health.
Republicans and their allies in the business community have cast enforcement of the Clean Air Act as a hindrance to commerce and an undue burden to those who rely on diesel engines.
CDC Investigates Parasite That’s Caused Cases of ‘Explosive’ Diarrhea in 18 US States
The US Centers for Disease Prevention has been working to find the source of a parasitic illness that causes “explosive”, watery diarrhea, with more than 400 cases of the sickness reported across 18 states.
The parasite, cyclospora, spreads through raw produce and water contaminated with human feces — and it causes the intestinal illness cyclosporiasis, whose symptoms include cramps, nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, low-grade fever and vomiting. The most commonly reported symptom is “watery diarrhea with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements”, according to the CDC.
There were 145 cases of cyclosporiasis reported across 17 states between 1 May and 16 June, the CDC said. Of those cases, 20 resulted in hospitalization. Cyclosporiasis is not usually life-threatening, and no deaths amid the recent outbreak have been reported.
After Recent Leadership Departures, Is the FDA Returning to Form?
Some experts say the FDA’s recent change of heart on a handful of drugs for rare diseases suggests a return to regular order after a tumultuous year, while others argue the flip-flopping signals more chaos. During the tenure of former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, MPH, and the agency’s top vaccine official Vinay Prasad, MD, MPH, several rare disease drugs were rejected or sponsors were asked to complete additional studies.
For example, in January, the FDA sent a complete response letter to Atara Biotherapeutics and its partner Pierre Fabre Pharmaceuticals rejecting the T-cell immunotherapy tabelecleucel (Ebvallo) for the treatment of Epstein-Barr virus-positive post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease. The next month, the agency rejected Regenxbio’s gene therapy RGX-121 for mucopolysaccharidosis II, also known as Hunter syndrome.
Then in March, the FDA closed the door on an accelerated approval of AMT-130, uniQure’s treatment for Huntington’s disease, sparking controversy by recommending a sham surgery-controlled study. Finally, in April, the agency panned Replimune’s drug candidate for treating advanced melanoma. Prasad left the agency in March, and Makary resigned in May. In the last several weeks, all four drugmakers have been given a chance to resubmit their applications.
Trump Administration Delivers Lucrative Win for Its Kratom Allies
The Drug Enforcement Administration on Wednesday took steps to temporarily ban supplements containing a synthetic version of kratom, a plan that had been sought by makers of a rival product with strong ties to the Trump administration.
The agency said it plans to classify an addictive psychoactive compound called 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, in the same category as heroin and LSD — drugs that are illegal to buy or sell. The action is a victory for public health, since government scientists had warned that the substance “has a significant potential for abuse and associated harms.” But it is also a big win for makers of supplements containing the natural form of kratom, who had been losing market share to 7-OH rivals over the past few years.
Federal health officials have cautioned that natural kratom, which is derived from trees, carries similar risks, including addiction, overdose and liver damage. But the D.E.A.’s action leaves it untouched.
