Common Mistakes in DC Federal Healthcare Fraud Cases

Healthcare fraud is a federal offense that can have serious consequences for those who are convicted. With so much at stake, it is important to avoid making certain mistakes that could weaken your case. Learn more about common mistakes in DC federal healthcare fraud cases and how you can avoid making those mistakes. A knowledgeable healthcare fraud lawyer that could pursue a positive outcome for you.

Attempts to Talk a Way Out of a Charge

One of the most common mistakes in DC federal healthcare fraud cases is when a law enforcement agent attempts to interview them and they think they can talk their way out of the charge. The cold reality is that an individual cannot talk their way out of a federal criminal charge.

It is not like attempting to talk one’s way out of a traffic offense. There is never a benefit in trying to talk one’s way out of a charge through an interview with law enforcement that is conducted without a lawyer present. Granting an interview with law enforcement is to the person’s detriment.

How Law Enforcement Might Try to Engage an Individual in an Interview

A law enforcement officer might try to engage someone in an interview by showing up on a person’s doorstep at 6 a.m. The person might be disoriented and unprepared to answer questions. The federal agent could burst into the person’s home and try to interview them under the guise of a search warrant.

That is all done to manipulate the person into dealing with the charges, feeling powerless, and getting them to engage in an interview in which every single word they say will be used against them. One of the worst and most common mistakes in DC federal healthcare fraud cases is attempting to engage with law enforcement. It is best to consult an attorney.

Not Contacting an Attorney

Another mistake people make is that they do not contact an attorney as soon as they find out they are under investigation. If an individual, their relative, or their business is issued a subpoena, they should call a lawyer before they respond to the subpoena.

The subpoena is just the tip of the of the iceberg. People also underestimate how ferocious the prosecutor can be in prosecuting healthcare fraud cases. An individual should consult an attorney as soon as they learn that they are being prosecuted for healthcare fraud.

Evidence in Healthcare Fraud Cases

When a lawyer takes on an individual who is charged with healthcare fraud, they meet with the person to identify any information they might have about the case. The lawyer identifies other people they might want to interview and determines what documents they should examine.

The next thing they do is examine the charging document such as a complaint, an affidavit in support of a complaint, or an arrest warrant to get a sense of the accusation. When the application is part of the search warrant or an indictment, the lawyer tries to get an understanding of the accusation. The lawyer then interviews the people identified by the government or their potential client as people who might have information.

Discovery in Healthcare Fraud Cases

The lawyer might obtain information about the case from the government through discovery if the case is indicted or may gather any information available from the pre-indictment. The lawyer speaks with their client to see if they have any perspective on the matter and might know what is true and untrue with a valid explanation.

Qualities to Look for in a DC Healthcare Fraud Lawyer

A person facing a healthcare fraud case should look for a lawyer who has experience in these types of cases. It is also important to engage a lawyer who is passionate about what they do who is willing to put in the hours necessary to obtain a successful resolution of the case.

The lawyer should be invested in the case from a factual perspective because of the high volume of information to process. Many people may need to be interviewed and the stakes are extremely high. They require a lot of emotional energy and a great deal experience to deal with on the part of the defense attorney. A skilled healthcare fraud lawyer could also help an individual avoid some of the more common mistakes in DC federal healthcare fraud cases.