Criminal Investigative Updates

Cherikah Roberson of Raceland, Louisiana, was indicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, making false statements, wire fraud, and theft of government funds. Beginning in 2021, Roberson allegedly defrauded the Small Business Administration of more than $1.4 million through the submission of approximately 60 fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan applications for associates, friends, family members, and herself. This case was investigated by the VA OIG and the Department of Labor OIG.

American Psychiatric Centers, Inc., doing business under the name Comprehensive Psychiatric Services (CPS), has agreed to pay $2.75 million to resolve allegations that CPS violated the False Claims Act. Since 2015, CPS has submitted claims to government payors for certain psychotherapy services using specific “add-on” codes when these services were performed in conjunction with an evaluation and management visit, and which require specific documentation. This settlement resolves the government’s allegations that CPS submitted fraudulent claims using these “add-on” codes in instances where its healthcare providers either had not provided the services described by those codes or had failed to sufficiently document that such services had been provided. CPS will pay $2,615,569.32 to the federal government and $134,430.68 to the state of California. The VA OIG, Health and Human Services OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Office of Personnel Management OIG, and the California Department of Justice Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse investigated this case.

Christina Nolte, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, was indicted on one count of theft of public money, property, or records; three counts of making false statements; and one count of student loan fraud. According to the indictment, Nolte falsified medical records to receive disability benefits from the VA to which she was not entitled. Nolte is also accused of using her fraudulent VA disability rating to unlawfully obtain a discharge of her federal student loan debt for $242,528. The indictment seeks forfeiture and a money judgment in the amount of $360,466.38. The VA OIG, Department of Education OIG, and FBI investigated this case.

Ishwanzya Rivers, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was arrested on charges she misappropriated money that she was managing on behalf of four veterans. Allegedly, Rivers made false statements to the federal government to cover up her theft and stole more than $133,000 from one elderly veteran who lived in the VA hospital in Cincinnati. She misappropriated the victim’s money at least 45 times and stole smaller amounts of money from three other elderly or infirm veterans, totaling more than $15,000. Rivers used the money for shopping, at restaurants, and to travel to New Orleans, Montego Bay, Cancun, London, Panama, Zurich, Vienna, and the Maldives. The VA OIG is investigating this case.

Dr. Kingsley R. Chin, the founder, president, and CEO of SpineFrontier, Inc., a Massachusetts-based medical device company, was sentenced to one year of supervised release with the first six months to be served in home confinement. Chin was also ordered to pay a fine of $9,500, in addition to $40,000 he agreed to pay as part of a related civil settlement, and $855,000 that his company, KICVentures, agreed to pay as part of the same settlement. In May 2025, Chin pleaded guilty to one count of false statements. Under the Physician Payment Sunshine Act, device manufacturers are required to report any payments or transfers of value to physicians. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services maintains a database, via the Open Payments website, which makes all such payments or transfers of value publicly accessible. SpineFrontier offered surgeons the opportunity to engage in purported consulting on product development. Specifically, Chin directed his employees to report the payment of fees paid to a surgeon as consulting fees that were not compensation for actual consulting work. The VA OIG, Health and Human Services OIG, US Postal Inspection Service, and FBI investigated this case.