Unpretentious quarters. At 5715 West Old Shakopee Road in suburban Bloomington.
Tipster led to federal prosecution, huge fine
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minnesota manufacturer of cataract surgery equipment was fined $487 million for kickbacks to eye doctors in a Medicare fraud scheme. The judgment was against Precision Lens of Bloomington and owner Paul Ehler. Federal Judge Wilhelmina Wright ordered the fine after a trial that found that 65,000 false claims were submitted to Medicare. Damages incurred by Medicare were calculated at $131 million. The judge tripled the fine as punishment. The kickbacks included high-end vacations, some by private jet, to skiing, fishing, golfing, hunting, sporting and entertainment destinations. Among them: Broadway shows, the Master’s golf tournament, and the college football national championship game.
Whistleblower reward
Precision Lens and Ehler maintained a secret slush fund for the kickback, federal prosecutors said. Whistleblower Kipp Fesenmaier, who brought the fraud to the attention of prosecutors, will receive a percentage of the damages as a reward. Said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger said: “The government often relies on whistleblowers to bring fraud schemes to light that might otherwise go undetected.”