U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha
Bank to pay $9 million in redlining settlement
PROVIDENCE — The nation’s oldest community bank will pay over $9 million to settle a federal lawsuit alleging it discriminated against Black and Hispanic borrowers in Rhode Island, the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) announced Wednesday. Washington Trust was accused of redlining, the name for the practice of avoiding providing credit services to people because of […]
Former ophthalmology chain owner to pay $1.1 million to feds for alleged kickbacks
PROVIDENCE — The founder of a Rhode Island ophthalmology chain will pay more than $1 million to settle civil allegations concerning kickbacks to his former practices, the U.S. Justice Department announced Thursday. The Justice Department claims that Dr. Paul S. Koch, Koch Eye Associates and Claris Vision, sent kickback payments to optometrists in return for referrals for […]
Seven fishermen in R.I. and Mass. indicted for tax evasion
Seven fishermen who worked as commercial contractors for companies based in Point Judith and New Bedford, Massachusetts, have been charged with tax evasion and failing to file tax returns. Federal grand juries in Providence and Boston recently returned indictments finding that the seven defendants – two of whom live in Rhode Island – failed to […]
Nurse practitioner sentenced for health care fraud
PROVIDENCE — A registered nurse and nurse practitioner who defrauded commercial health insurers and Medicare of nearly $12 million was sentenced Tuesday, April 4, to seven years in federal prison. Alexander Istomin, 57, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to charges of health care fraud, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and causing the introduction of misbranded drugs into […]