Case Against Alleged Mastermind in Kickback Scheme Winding Down, Court Records Indicate

The criminal case against a former pharmacy owner who allegedly directed a kickback scheme that fleeced private carriers and federal workers’ compensation programs out of roughly $200 million is nearing its end, according to court documents filed this month. The case docket for the U.S. District Court in Southern California showed a plea agreement was filed Nov. 2, the same day that prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed superseding information in federal court outlining a conspiracy charge and an asset forfeiture plan against Hootan Melamed. Melamed, the former p...