True to their word in several recent public statements, the Chief and Deputy Chief of the Medicaid Fraud Division have brought several recent criminal cases against dentists for fraudulent billing and unlicensed practice of dentistry.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy discussed the enforcement priorities for the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) during a Q&A session on May 29, 2024, and made clear that the historical focus of the office remains the top priority: detecting and combating health care fraud, waste, and abuse. 

In early March 2024 at the American Bar Association’s 39th National Institute on White Collar Crime, Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Lisa Monaco’s keynote remarks previewed the development of new and significant Department of Justice (DOJ or the Department) policy initiatives. Her speech reemphasized many of DOJ’s key themes throughout the current administration, including individual accountability, the importance of strong corporate compliance programs, incentivizing voluntary self-disclosure of misconduct, and adapting to keep up with disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence.

In 2023, DOJ announced significant updates to the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement Policy, the agency’s Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy for corporate criminal enforcement, and a new safe harbor for voluntary self-disclosures made in connection with M&A deals, all aimed at incentivizing companies to self-disclose their misconduct.

Throughout 2023, the Department of Justice has prioritized voluntary self-disclosure of misconduct. The introduction of the M&A Safe Harbor Policy extends these principles to mergers and acquisitions, emphasizing the pivotal role of effective compliance programs. White Collar Defense and Government Investigations Practice Co-chair Eoin Beirne and Associate Nick LaPalme present a high-level summary of the policy, offering valuable insights into its implications for companies navigating the complexities of mergers and acquisitions.

At the American Bar Association’s 38th Annual National Institute on White Collar Crime, Department of Justice (“DOJ”) officials announced multiple significant policy updates regarding corporate compliance.

On December 16, 2022, United States Attorney General Merrick Garland issued two related memoranda (collectively, the “Garland Memo”) which provide guidance to federal prosecutors regarding department policies for charging, pleas, and sentencing. Following publication of the Garland Memo, on January 17, 2023, Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ’s Criminal Division Kenneth Allen Polite Jr. announced important revisions to the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement Policy (the “CEP”), which alter how it will evaluate corporate criminal matters.