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On March 3, 2023, Cruise filed Defendant's Amended Objections to Presentence Investigation Report, which did not indicate any intention to withdraw his plea (Docket Entry No. 633). On March 6, 2023, a United States Probation Officer filed Cruise's final PSR (Docket Entry No. 659). On March 30, 2023, twenty-four days after the final PSR was issued and approximately two weeks before his sentencing hearing, Cruise filed the pending Motion to Withdraw Plea ("Cruise's Motion") (Docket Entry No. 682). The United States filed the Government's Opposition to Defendant John Cruise and Lashonia Johnson's Motions to Withdraw Pleas (Under Seal) ("Government's Response") on April 2, 2023 (Docket Entry No. 684). A Houston power couple has been sentenced to a combined 35 years in federal prison after being convicted of fraud.
Houston Couple John Cruise And LaShonia Johnson Who Own "Phill & Derek's" Restaurant Sentenced To 35 Years ... - BlackSportsOnline
Houston Couple John Cruise And LaShonia Johnson Who Own "Phill & Derek's" Restaurant Sentenced To 35 Years ....
Posted: Thu, 19 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
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The drugs were then mailed to patients, who often hadn't requested or needed them, the department said. Cruise has failed to show that any of the seven Carr factors weigh in his favor. Accordingly, the court concludes that the totality of the circumstances do not favor allowing Cruise to withdraw his guilty plea.
Attorneys for Plaintiffs
Keith Hudson, 55, of Humble, Texas, a pharmacist licensed in Texas and pharmacist-in-charge at ACP, was sentenced to 3 years in prison. James Don Jackson, 63, of Tyler, Texas, a medical doctor licensed in Texas, was sentenced to five years in prison.Nirvana Hightower, 56, of Houston, a pharmacist licensed in Texas and pharmacist-in-charge at Compounding Solutions LLC, was sentenced to five years in prison. If you love Houston’s restaurant scene then it is highly likely that you have come across Phil & Derek’s Jazz Lounge & Restaurant owned by John Cruise and his spouse, LaShonia Johnson. "He didn't do anything wrong whatsoever," Jackson's attorney, John Green, told the newspaper.
April 22, 2024
The drugs were then mailed to patients, even though the patients often never requested, wanted, or needed them. According to a news release, the defendants submitted false and fraudulent claims to the OWCP and TRICARE for prescriptions for compounded and other drugs prescribed to injured federal workers and members of the armed forces. The defendants chose the particular compounds and other drugs based not on the patients’ medical needs but in light of the amount of reimbursement for the drugs. The defendants submitted false and fraudulent claims to the OWCP and TRICARE for prescriptions for compounded and other drugs prescribed to injured federal workers and members of the armed forces. According to the press release the defendants submitted false and fraudulent claims to the OWCP and TRICARE for prescriptions for compounded and other drugs prescribed to injured federal workers and members of the armed forces. The Justice Department outlined the alleged scheme, stating, "The defendants submitted false and fraudulent claims to the OWCP and TRICARE for prescriptions for compounded and other drugs prescribed to injured federal workers and members of the armed forces.
John Cruise and his wife, LaShonia Johnson, were the co-owners of Assurance Consolidated Pharmacy in Spring, Texas, and Cruise was the owner of the Injured Federal Workers Advocate Association (“IFWAA”). He, along with other members of the conspiracy, recruited injured federal workers or claimants to sign up with the IFWAA in exchange for free assistance with their workers’ compensation claims. On Thursday, April 13, 2023, nine co-conspirators were sentenced to various prison terms for their respective roles in a fraud scheme in which they submitted false claims to Tricare and the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs.
Workers Compensation News Topics
Prominent Houston Couple Sentenced to Combined 35 Years for $126M Fraud Scheme - VladTV
Prominent Houston Couple Sentenced to Combined 35 Years for $126M Fraud Scheme.
Posted: Wed, 18 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
He provided no credible support for his change of position, and his conclusory allegations were substantially undercut by the government's cross-examination. In light of the court's detailed admonitions to Cruise regarding the importance of answering truthfully and Cruise's admission under oath in open court that all of the facts stated in the factual basis were true, the court is not persuaded by Cruise's selfserving, last-minute assertion that he is not guilty. John Cruise and his wife, LaShonia Johnson, once jointly owned both the Phil & Derek’s Restaurant and Jazz Lounge and the Assurance Consolidated Pharmacy. The husband also owned the Injured Federal Workers Advocate Association (IFWAA). When the couple went down for running a scam through two of the businesses, the eatery, which had been a popular destination for African-Americans in the city, experienced struggle and had to assume new ownership. Sherod Johnson, 44, of Las Vegas, a patient recruiter, was sentenced to one year and six months in prison.
News
Audra Jones, 46, of Houston, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison. Kenny Ozoude, 48, of Houston, former owner of Compounding Solutions LLC, a Houston-based pharmacy, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Cruise and Johnson also ran a pharmacy in Texas that dispensed the compounded medicines. The president of another pharmacy in Houston also participated in the fraud, according to court documents.
It wasn’t until 18 years of friendship later that Shon and John’s relationship shifted. One night, the two were at Shon’s home drinking wine, and having a deep discussion about business, sex, religion, God, and marriage. “It’s not the most romantic story, but our decision to get married and become a family was sort of discussed like we do most of the business deals we consider,” John describes. According to COMPLEX Chingy expressed how the false claim made by transgender social media personality...
Fans of the restaurant seem grateful that this soul food staple did not go under because its previous owners did. Cruise and Johnson were hit with the hardest sentences for their significant involvement in the scheme. Cruise received a 20-year prison term and was ordered to pay around $32 million in restitution. His wife, Johnson, was sentenced to 15 years and also required to pay $32 million in restitution, mirroring her husband’s penalty. Kenny Ozoude, James Don Jackson, Nirvana Hightower, Keith Hudson, Audra Jones, Terrance Aice and Sherod Johnson were also sentenced for their involvements in the scheme.
The couple, 52-year-old John Cruise and 50-year-old LaShonia Jackson, owned a Harris County pharmacy, according to the U.S. The nine defendants submitted false claims to the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs and TRICARE for prescriptions of drugs normally prescribed to injured federal workers. The defendants paid kickbacks to patient recruiters and physicians to prescribe those drugs, and chose the particular compounds and other drugs based on the amount of reimbursement for the drugs. Those drugs were then mailed to patients, despite the patients never requesting them. The defendants paid kickbacks to patient recruiters and physicians to prescribe the drugs, according to the U.S. The notable Harris County couple were a few in the scam involving 9 defendants who were sentenced for their respective roles in a scheme to defraud the Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs and a healthcare program for U.S. service members and their families.
Johnson, Lashonia,filed a(n)Divorce,Separation -FamilycaseagainstCruise, John Michael,in the jurisdiction of Brazoria County, TX, .Brazoria County, TXSuperior Courts461st District Court. “This is completely sad, however, folks without melanin have been doing ish like this for years! I don’t respect anyone that has to abuse someone’s healthcare but we seem to get stiffer punishments,” wrote another.
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Because the court has accepted Cruise's guilty plea, Cruise's Motion is governed by Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure ll(d)(2). Rule ll(d)(2)(B) provides that a defendant may withdraw a plea of guilty after the court accepts the plea if the defendant can show "a fair and just reason for requesting the withdrawal." Cruise, a former co-owner of Assurance Consolidated Pharmacy, was sentenced to 20 years in prison, according to the department. Other defendants were given shorter sentences, ranging from one to ten years in federal prison. Healthcare fraud investigations involve complex healthcare and pharmacy matters requiring legal counsel with knowledge and experience in TRICARE and healthcare law.
Department of Justice, the nine took part in a years-long multistate scheme to defraud the Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs and TRICARE, the healthcare program for U.S. service members and their families. At his rearraignment the court explained to Cruise that the court was required to ask him a number of questions. The court told Cruise that it was very important that he listen carefully and provide truthful and complete answers to all of the court's questions for several reasons. The court reminded Cruise that he was under oath and, therefore, that if he gave an untrue answer he could be charged with the separate crime of perjury. The court also explained to Cruise that his answers must be truthful and complete because the court was required to make a number of findings based on Cruise's answers before it could accept his guilty plea.
Terrance Aice, 50, of Carrollton, Texas, a patient recruiter, was sentenced to one year and six months in prison. LaShonia Johnson, 50, of Houston, a former co-owner of ACP with her husband and co-defendant Cruise, and director at IFWAA, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Four additional defendants — Dr. Jay Bender, Dr. Deepak Chavda, Donathan Kemp and Naresh Jivanji — are scheduled to be sentenced on May 25. The U.S. Department of Justice said Sherod Brown, 44, of Las Vegas, was among nine defendants sentenced Thursday for their roles in defrauding the Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) and TRICARE. Cruise was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment, while Johnson was sentenced to 15 years.
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