White Collar Roundup, March 2011

Healthcare Fraud: It's a "Loss" Cause.

The Fifth Circuit recently clarified how courts should calculate the loss amount under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines for Medicaid (and Medicare) fraud. Joining the Fourth Circuit, the court said that "the amount fraudulently billed to Medicare/Medicaid is 'prima facie evidence of the amount of loss.'" The parties may provide evidence in an effort to increase or decrease that amount.

It's a Conspiracy!

With the possibility that prosecutors may more frequently use RICO to prosecute white-collar crime (for a news article on the subject, click here), a recent Second Circuit opinion on RICO conspiracy is worth mentioning. Interpreting Supreme Court precedent, the court held that the government need not prove the existence of an enterprise to obtain a conviction for RICO conspiracy. The court ruled that for RICO conspiracy, it's the agreement-and the agreement alone-that counts.