Texas Clinic Owner Convicted in $26M TRICARE Fraud; Blew Proceeds on Gold-Plated Cybertruck and Casino Party
FORT WORTH, Texas — A federal jury in Fort Worth convicted a Texas licensed professional counselor for his role in a $26 million health care fraud, kickbacks and money laundering scheme targeting the military health benefits program, the Justice Department announced.
Kevin D. Curry, 64, of Frisco, Texas, was convicted of three counts of health care fraud, three counts of offering and paying illegal health care kickbacks, and three counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminal derived property. He is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Curry orchestrated a scheme to bill TRICARE for transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy that was medically unnecessary or not provided. Curry owned and operated two purported mental health clinics in Texas, Acuity TMS of Plano LLC and Acuity TMS of Fort Worth LLC, and one purported mental health clinic in Florida, Emerald Coast TMS of Fort Walton Beach LLC.
Curry offered and paid over $5.5 million in kickbacks to convince active-duty servicemembers, veterans and their family members to consent to TMS therapy they did not qualify for and, in many instances, did not receive, authorities said. Curry, who falsely held himself out to be a medical doctor, used actual doctors’ credentials without their knowledge and consent to bill TRICARE as part of the scheme.
In an effort to conceal his fraud, Curry directed employees to fabricate medical records that he submitted to TRICARE to justify his fraudulent billings, according to the release. Acuity billed TRICARE over $26 million in false, fraudulent and kickback-tainted TMS claims, based on which TRICARE paid approximately $17 million.
Curry laundered some of the proceeds by spending his ill-gotten gains on hotels, a lavish casino-themed party and a gold-plated Tesla Cybertruck worth over $100,000, authorities said.
“Yesterday’s verdict makes clear that those who try to defraud the United States will be met with swift and decisive justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Department of Justice’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “This defendant exploited a critical health care program serving active-duty servicemembers and their families, diverting taxpayer dollars to bankroll personal luxuries ranging from hotel stays to a casino-themed party and even a gold-plated Tesla Cybertruck. Such conduct is an affront to the military community and the American public. The Department of Justice will continue to aggressively pursue anyone who abuses federal programs for personal gain.”
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said Curry preyed on the trust of servicemembers, veterans and their families.
“Kevin Curry shamelessly preyed on the trust of servicemembers, veterans, and their families, siphoning millions from TRICARE through lies and coercion,” Raybould said. “He fabricated medical records, stole doctors’ identities and clogged the system with fraudulent claims, all while lining his pockets with kickback-tainted money. This conviction sends an unmistakable message that those who manipulate our military community and defraud federal healthcare programs will face the full force of federal prosecution.”
Fake Ozempic Smuggled From China, Sold at Deep Discounts in U.S., Feds Say; Two Indian Nationals Charged
TAMPA — A federal grand jury in the Middle District of Florida has charged two Indian nationals in connection with an alleged transnational counterfeit prescription drug distribution scheme that authorities say involved selling counterfeit Ozempic to distributors in the United States at deeply discounted prices.
Swapnadip Roy, 33, and Vicky Ramancha, 37, face conspiracy and smuggling charges, the Justice Department announced. Roy was extradited from Italy to the United States and made his initial appearance in Tampa, Florida, today.
According to court documents, beginning in at least July 2023 and continuing to April 2024, Roy and Ramancha allegedly obtained counterfeit Ozempic from unauthorized sources in China. The counterfeit Ozempic allegedly distributed by Roy, Ramancha and their co-conspirators included counterfeit packaging, package inserts, pen labels and needles meant to deceive downstream customers into believing they were purchasing authentic Ozempic authorized by the manufacturer.
The scheme continued even after the FDA seized some of the counterfeit Ozempic in December 2023 and issued a public warning regarding the products, according to the release.
Roy and Ramancha are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit smuggling and to defraud the United States, three counts of smuggling, and two counts of selling counterfeit drugs and holding counterfeit drugs for sale. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 71 years in prison.
“Counterfeit prescription drugs — especially common ones — threaten the health and safety of every American who depends on the integrity of our pharmaceutical supply,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These defendants allegedly exploited people’s health to pay themselves. We will keep pursuing anyone who seeks to deceive American consumers with counterfeit drugs.”
“This indictment reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting Americans from potential harm from counterfeit prescription drugs,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Murray for the Middle District of Florida. “Our office will not tolerate bad actors corrupting our pharmaceutical supply chain.”
“While the U.S. wholesale distribution market is highly regulated, those who choose to subvert the safeguards of the legitimate drug regulatory regime and supply chain by introducing counterfeit drugs into the U.S. market put American consumers at significant risk,” said Assistant Commissioner Justin Green of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations. “Drug safety and quality do not begin or end at the U.S. border. FDA takes reports of possible counterfeit medicines seriously and works closely with other federal agencies, foreign counterparts, and the private sector to help protect the nation’s drug supply.”
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
FDA Seizes Counterfeit Ozempic From Legitimate U.S. Supply Chain, Warns Patients to Check Pen Labels
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently seized dozens of units of counterfeit Ozempic (semaglutide) injection 1 mg that were distributed illegally outside of Novo Nordisk’s authorized supply chain, the agency said.
The seized counterfeit products were in the legitimate U.S. drug supply chain, according to the FDA.
The counterfeit products are labeled with lot number PAR1229, which also is an authentic lot number.
The agency said the counterfeit products labeled with lot number PAR1229 can be identified by the location of the EXP/LOT text on the pen’s label. The counterfeit product has the EXP/LOT text on the left side of the expiration date and lot number, while the authentic Ozempic pen contains the EXP/LOT text above the expiration date and lot number.
Patients should not use Ozempic if the EXP/LOT text appears on the left side of the expiration date and lot number on the pen’s label, the FDA said.
Authentic vs. counterfeit pen
Patients who received Ozempic injection 1 mg with lot number PAR1229 through the Novo Nordisk Patient Assistance Program may continue using the product because it is authentic Ozempic, according to the agency.
The FDA advised patients, wholesalers, retail pharmacies and health care professionals to check the Ozempic products they have received and not use, distribute or sell products that contain the counterfeit information described by the agency.
The agency said it is aware of six adverse event reports associated with this lot. However, those adverse events are associated with authentic Ozempic and none of them appear to be associated with the counterfeit product, the FDA said. All six adverse events were reported by Novo Nordisk.
The FDA urged retail pharmacies to only purchase authentic Ozempic through authorized distributors of Novo Nordisk and to review the product and information to confirm the legitimacy of their shipments. Pharmacists with concerns about whether their batches are authentic should contact Novo Nordisk customer care at 1-800-727-6500 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST.
Patients should only obtain Ozempic with a valid prescription through state-licensed pharmacies and check the product before using it for any signs of counterfeiting, the agency said.
Testing and analysis of the seized products are underway to determine the drug’s composition and safety risks.
The FDA said it was notified by Novo Nordisk on Nov. 18, 2025, that counterfeit Ozempic injection 1 mg was in the legitimate U.S. drug supply chain. The agency’s investigation is ongoing.
The FDA said it takes reports of possible counterfeit medicines seriously and works closely with other federal agencies and the private sector to help protect the nation’s drug supply. The agency said it is working with Novo Nordisk to identify, investigate and remove further suspected counterfeit Ozempic injectable products found in the U.S.
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