Former Obama Drug Official Sued In Addiction Fraud Lawsuit
https://www.newsy.com/stories/former-obama-administration-official-sued-in-fraud-lawsuit/
A former White House official high up in the drug czar’s office is named in a new federal lawsuit, accusing him of fraud in the drug rehabilitation industry and using his contacts to enrich his family.
Thomas McLellan served as deputy director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy from 2009 to 2012 in the Obama administration. The lawsuit is accusing McLellan and his son, Andrew, of holding on to millions of dollars from what it calls a “criminal, sham” addiction treatment center outside of Philadelphia.
The younger Andrew McLellan became a part owner and board manager of Liberation Way in 2015 after investing $300,000 that he was given by his father, according to the lawsuit. It also alleges that in 2016, Thomas McLellan offered to reach out “to his higher up contacts” that he used to work with to fend off an audit from an insurer that had developed “significant concerns” about Liberation’s activity. A year later in December 2017, McLellan’s son allegedly cashed out a nearly $5 million position in the company. And Newsy discovered county real estate records that show just one month later, he purchased this home in the Philadelphia suburbs for $2.9 million. On Zillow, the home is described as the “crown jewel” of its area, complete with a pool and seven bathrooms. By March of this year, state and federal officials charged Liberation’s remaining owners with an elaborate insurance fraud scheme — alleging the company and its officers were getting kickbacks related to blood and urine screenings, and billing for medically unnecessary treatments. The company collapsed following the criminal charges of the remaining owners.
“These individuals profited off of the pain of these individuals who were battling addiction,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in his announcement of the charges.
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Neither McLellan was criminally charged. But now the key lender in the purchase of Liberation Way — Oxford Finance — is suing in civil court to get its money back, saying it lent the money based on fraudulent information from the owners, and it would therefore be “unjust” if the McLellans got to keep their millions.
“They were defrauded into making the loan, so from an equitable standpoint, people shouldn’t make money off their fraud,” said Andrew Rothermel, who was appointed CEO of Liberation after investors learned about the alleged fraud.
Neither the McLellans nor their attorneys returned Newsy’s multiple requests for comment.
Advocates say the alleged actions of the former White House official and his son highlight larger concerns about what can happen when the little-regulated drug treatment industry doesn’t put patients before profits.
“What that does to the psyche of someone trying to work a program, work on his recovery, it’s shattering. It’s mentally and emotionally shattering them,” said Maureen Kielian of Southeast Florida Recovery Advocates.
Filed under: General Problems
“• At the public level of press, radio, TV, films and other media technologies such as the Internet, anonymity stresses the equality in the Fellowship of all members by putting the brake on those who might otherwise exploit their A.A. affiliation to achieve recognition, power, or personal gain.” https://www.aa.org/pages/en_US/understanding-anonymity Addiction treatment was never supposed to be about personal financial gain. Those who have bastardized it as a form of personal gain have forever damaged recovery and turned addiction recovery into an industry that cares more about profit than true treatment. What we have today had been warned against by the very founders of addiction recovery! Treatment facilities are what’s wrong with recovery not what’s good about so called progress. They have turned what is merely an example of human weakness to our environment into a way of taking advantage of more people. If there’s a hell, there will be a special place for so called addiction specialists who work for profit!
And who is leading the way? Why Andrew Kolodny again!
Well dahhhhhhhhh,,ALLLLL OF US SAID,,,THIS IS ABOUT MONEY,,FROM THE VERY START,,KOLODNY AND HIS ,”CONTACTS,’;” OBVIUOSLY HAVE MADE BILLLION OFF OF THE TORTURE AND MURDER OF THE MEDICALLY ILL IN PHYSICAL PAIN FROM THEIR MEDICAL ILLNESS,,,,WE ALL SAID THIS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING,,,FOLLOW THE $$$$$$$,,,FOR IT IS SOLELY ABOUT THE $$$$4,,,,Personally,,i truly think,,having 23 years of experience in chronic pain,,Shrinks were never welcomed in painmanagememnt…They would have 1 office all the way in the back of the offices’,,out of view from the public and it was ALWAYS EMPTY,, till they started forcing patients to go,,via,,no shrink,no medicine,,I think the shrinks,kolodny’s types truly got pist,,and wanted their piece of piem,,,no matter who they had to kill/torture to get it,,,JMO,,maryw
Maybe they should look into Prop or the slime ball Kolondy Would’nt be a bit surprised if they found same deal there
Can you imagine what will happen if government “gives free” healthcare? This was a person in the obama administration.
Actually individual always ruin things not matter how something is run or who is President. However Obama never had as many people dealing with self serving corruption like Trump. In fact all most all of Trump Cabinet have left because they were caught sound something wrong and bailed out before they had to pay for there wrongs. Prutt gave the contract to fix Puerto Rico electric to a company who was a friend and had 10 people working for them. Needless to say the electric is still not fixed in Puerto Rico while this company just pocket lot of the moneys. However right now health care is too expensive and the People who need it cannot afford it. So how is no healthcare better then getting most of your healthcare taken care of by spending taxes on healthcare instead billion given to military contractors who get contracts without having to go though the open bid requirement that is suppose to be required for government contacts. We waste billion on military prototypes that are know will never work but because of the contract they still pay the company for the failed project. It should be noted that he only served 3 years before leaving because this was catching up on him.
And who is leading the way? Why Andrew Kolodny again!
Pure selfishness everywhere. How would it be if gov now takes over “treatment”, as these individuals are one of the biggest sources of the purely selfish.