'Hate to See It': Houston Power Couple Sentenced to a Combined 35 Years In Federal Workmans Comp Fraud Scheme

Table Of Content

• Sign up for our daily weekday newsletter - Hello, Houston!SIGN UP NOW
• The Health Law Offices of Anthony C. Vitale
• Michael Douglas, 79, says his kids’ college thought he was a grandfather on Parents’ Day: ‘That was a rough one’
• Carnival Cruise Line Cracks Down on Unauthorized Activity
• ‘Hate to See It’: Houston Power Couple Sentenced to a Combined 35 Years In Federal Workman’s Comp Fraud Scheme

The outbreak was reported one day before the “Easter” themed cruise was scheduled to end. Cruise Hive was established back in 2008 and among the earliest blogs in the industry. Since the start, it's been our aim to provide the latest cruise news covering all the major cruise lines. We make sure cruisers are fully prepared for their cruise vacation with tips on ships and ports.Millions of travelers rely on Cruise Hive in the United States, Europe, Australia, and around the world. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, gambling is “the practice of risking money or other stakes in a game” – there is no minimum amount necessary to be considered gambling. Furthermore, even if the money even went to just one eventual winner, that is still technically gambling, even if wagers or bets were not placed on individual turns or rounds of gameplay.

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Kenny Ozoude, James Don Jackson, Nirvana Hightower, Keith Hudson, Audra Jones, Terrance Aice and Sherod Johnson were also sentenced for their involvements in the scheme. “This is completely sad, however, folks without melanin have been doing ish like this for years! I don’t respect anyone that has to abuse someone’s healthcare but we seem to get stiffer punishments,” wrote another.

The Health Law Offices of Anthony C. Vitale

The 92,720-gross-ton Carnival Luminosa can welcome 2,260 guests aboard at double occupancy, or as many as 2,826 travelers when fully booked. Carnival Luminosa is currently midway through a 30-night repositioning cruise that departed Brisbane, Australia on April 1. The ship is visiting outstanding ports of call in the amazing destinations of Guam, Japan, and Alaska on her way to Seattle, where she will arrive on May 1. Hawaiian singer-songwriter John Cruz engages audiences with rich storytelling through songs ranging from Hawaiian to blues, folk, R&B and more. Cruz is a  multi-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winner and contributed a composition and song to the GRAMMY® award-winning album ‘Slack Key Guitar, Vol. 2.’ Captivating guitar playing, soulful vocals and a compassionate, genuine heart make Cruz one of Hawaii’s most beloved artists.

Michael Douglas, 79, says his kids’ college thought he was a grandfather on Parents’ Day: ‘That was a rough one’

Cruise and Johnson were hit with the hardest sentences for their significant involvement in the scheme. Cruise received a 20-year prison term and was ordered to pay around $32 million in restitution. His wife, Johnson, was sentenced to 15 years and also required to pay $32 million in restitution, mirroring her husband’s penalty. Prices for the 16-day excursion started at $11,700 for a double occupancy room, according to CruiseMapper.

To quell the spread of the stomach bug, Silversea Cruises reportedly quarantined its impacted passengers and crew member and “increased cleaning and disinfection procedures,” the CDC said. The ship includes multiple kitchens, grills and even an interactive space where guests can cook with Compton. Introduced in 2023, the Silver Nova boasts butler service for every suite, one crew member for every 1.3 guests and “outstanding gastronomy” — it even welcomed “Top Chef’s” Nina Compton to its ranks at the end of last year.

What the cruise line does not permit, however, is any unauthorized for-cash gambling outside of the casinos. Guest-led betting, gambling, or wagering is not permitted on Carnival Cruise Line, as guests onboard Carnival Luminosa have learned. The operation included one additional pharmacy owner, a physician, two pharmacists, and three patient recruiters. The Silversea Cruises outbreak marks the fourth this year — including one that saw 104 become infected aboard a Holland America Line ship and more than 130 people on Cunard Cruise Line’s Queen Victoria struck down by a bout of diarrhea and vomiting in February.

Carnival Cruise Security Shuts Down Unauthorized Gambling on Carnival Luminosa

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Heald does note, however, that if the same group were to continue organizing games with money changing hands, there could be further consequences. Cruise, a former co-owner of Assurance Consolidated Pharmacy, was sentenced to 20 years in prison, according to the department. Other defendants were given shorter sentences, ranging from one to ten years in federal prison. A Houston couple was sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a $126 million fraud scheme. To increase the excitement of the game, some players may bet on individual hands or other overall outcome.

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Healthcare fraud investigations involve complex healthcare and pharmacy matters requiring legal counsel with knowledge and experience in TRICARE and healthcare law. Those involved in the industry would be well advised to educate themselves about best practices. As far back as 2015, The Health Law Offices of Anthony C. Vitale, who specialize in healthcare law,  have been writing about the feds cracking down on compounding pharmacy fraud.

Criminal Justice

Prominent Houston couple John Cruise and his wife, LaShonia Johnson, were sentenced to a combined 35 years in federal prison after being convicted of fraud. A Houston power couple has been sentenced to a combined 35 years in federal prison after being convicted of fraud. At least 28 of the Silver Nova ship’s 633 guests and one of its crew members reported feeling sick during their 16-day voyage from Peru, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.

While at first it was believed to be a game of cards, even betting on dice or other games is not permitted. One such round of unauthorized gaming was recently shut down aboard Carnival Luminosa, leading to heated discussions about what is and isn’t gambling and what is permitted onboard. Cruise and his wife jointly owned both the Phil & Derek’s Restaurant and Jazz Lounge and the Assurance Consolidated Pharmacy. They allegedly participated in the scheme when they experienced struggle and had to assume new ownership. John Cruise and his wife, LaShonia Johnson, once jointly owned both the Phil & Derek’s Restaurant and Jazz Lounge and the Assurance Consolidated Pharmacy. When the couple went down for running a scam through two of the businesses, the eatery, which had been a popular destination for African-Americans in the city, experienced struggle and had to assume new ownership.

The Justice Department outlined the alleged scheme, stating, "The defendants submitted false and fraudulent claims to the OWCP and TRICARE for prescriptions for compounded and other drugs prescribed to injured federal workers and members of the armed forces. The couple, 52-year-old John Cruise and 50-year-old LaShonia Jackson, owned a Harris County pharmacy, according to the U.S. The nine defendants submitted false claims to the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs and TRICARE for prescriptions of drugs normally prescribed to injured federal workers. There are different laws onboard Carnival cruise ships that cover gambling and betting, and the cruise line must also abide by local gambling and betting laws in ports of call in different countries. While guests are absolutely permitted to play such games at their leisure, it is the betting and money exchanging hands that cannot be permitted.

The defendants paid kickbacks to patient recruiters and physicians to prescribe those drugs, and chose the particular compounds and other drugs based on the amount of reimbursement for the drugs. The defendants paid kickbacks to patient recruiters and physicians to prescribe the drugs, according to the U.S. Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald has addressed an incident of unauthorized gambling aboard Carnival Luminosa. Apparently, a game of what was first reported as cards but later revealed as Left-Center-Right (LCR), a popular dice game, was being played with a large group of guests betting on their play on the ship’s lido deck. At the moment, no consequences other than a visit from ship’s security to ensure the game is stopped have been levied.