Pair arrested in connection with shooting of Orange Park teen

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Two men were arrested and charged with armed robbery of an 18-year-old Orange Park High graduate.
Kieshawn Ray Capri Smith, 23, and Daveion Breshod Austin, 20, were arrested by the Green Cove Springs Police Department on Nov. 21 – four days after Skyler Townsend was gunned down in the 1100 block of Center Street.
Two other men were wounded.
Murder warrants for Smith and Austin were issued on Saturday and the men were arrested that day. As of Monday, both were formally charged with armed robbery.
Green Cove Springs police said it’s recovered a vehicle of interest and it was being processed for evidence.
The police department said the case is still active and it wouldn’t make any comments.
Austin and Smith are in the Clay County Jail on a $500,000 bond. There next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 4.

Oakleaf man jailed for impersonating a U.S. Marshal

OAKLEAF – A man pretending to be a U.S. Marshal was arrested in Clayton County, Georgia and charged with impersonating a law enforcement officer and openly carrying a firearm.
Jamaul Kennedy, 31, of Oakleaf, was transported back to the Clay County Jail on Aug. 18 after Clay County Sheriff’s Office deputies said he was wearing a black tactical jacket with the word “POLICE” printed on the front, as well as a duty belt and a Beretta 9 mm handgun, two sets of handcuffs and plastic tie-wrap restraints when they asked him about his claims to being a part of the Fugitive Task Force Recovery team.
CCSO said there have been several complaints about Kennedy claiming to be a Marshal from citizens. Deputies also said he refused to show them his law enforcement credentials.
An investigator contacted the U.S. Marshals, and they said Kennedy has never been part of the agency.
Kennedy is being held without bond. His next hearing is Jan. 4.

‘Red Bandana Bandit’ arrested in Keystone Heights

KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – A 22-year-old man suspected of at least five armed robberies in Putnam, Alachua and Bradford counties was arrested on Nov. 17
after deputies found a loaded semi-automatic bb gun and clothes that appeared to have been worn in all five robberies during a search warrant.
Noe Cruz Jr., of Keystone Heights, was in the Bradford County Jail on a $200,000 bond.
According to the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office, Cruz, who always wore a red bandana as a mask, admitted to robbing three stores in Putnam County and one each in Alachua and Bradford.
He was arrested at his home on Jasmine Avenue.

Man charged with choking woman, leading police on high-speed chase

ORANGE PARK – A man took sheriff deputies on a high-speed chase after he ran into a car and utility box after a woman said he choked her during an argument.

Man charged with fighting with EMTs, CCSO deputies

ORANGE PARK – An argument escalated into several charges for an Orange Park man, including fighting with EMTs inside an ambulance and resisting arrest with violence.
Adam David Preseau, 34, also was charged on Nov. 16 with simple battery, preventing someone from calling 911 and vandalism.
According to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, deputies were called to break up an argument between Preseau and his girlfriend. The victim said she became concerned and tried to call 911, but Preseau pulled the telephone off the wall. The victim said she locked herself in the bathroom and called police. Preseau then kicked in the door and smacked the phone from her hand, CCSO said.
Deputies met Preseau at a business parking lot on Blanding Boulevard to investigate. He immediately refused to be handcuffed and scuffled with officers. EMTs were called when Preseau complained of a sore wrist.
During transport to Orange Park Medical Center, deputies were alerted he was fighting inside the ambulance. He eventually was restrained, but not before breaking several Plexiglas storage units with his head.

Local radiology practice to pay $1.4 million for health fraud

JACKSONVILLE – U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces today that Mori, Bean and Brooks, P.A., a radiology practice in the Jacksonville area has agreed to pay the United States $1.4 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for radiological images that were ineligible for reimbursement.
The practice operates at 16 facilities, including the Orange Park Medical Center and Fleming Island Imaging Center.
“[Friday’s] announcement demonstrates the Justice Department’s commitment to protect public funds and our healthcare beneficiaries,” said United States Attorney Chapa Lopez. “We will aggressively pursue healthcare providers who violate Medicare regulations and hold accountable providers who knowingly submit fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid.”
The settlement resolves allegations that from April 27, 2012, through Feb. 5, 2019, MBB billed healthcare programs for radiological images that were interpreted outside the United States. Medicare requires that for tele-radiology services to be eligible for reimbursement, they must be performed within the United States. The agreement also resolves allegations that the practice group billed for radiology services that were initially performed overseas but were re-interpreted by another radiologist in the U.S. and billed to the second, domestic radiologist as if the latter doctor had performed the original read.
“Knowingly submitting false claims for financial gain is unacceptable,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Perez Aybar of the U.S. Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Medicare only pays for services provided in accordance with Medicare rules. The settlement should serve as a warning that anyone attempting to defraud taxpayer-funded health care programs will be vigorously pursued.”
While MBB continued to bill Medicare and Medicaid for reads performed outside the country until after the United States informed it of the ongoing investigation, after being informed of the investigation MBB successfully reduced the amount owed to the government through diligent and effective cooperation.
This case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shea Gibbons and Sean Keefe for the Middle District of Florida. It was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General.
The settlement concludes a lawsuit originally filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida by Thomas Heyck, a radiologist who formerly worked for Mori, Bean and Brooks. Heyck sued under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act permitting a private citizen to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in the recovery. The case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Thomas Heyck v. Mori, Bean and Brooks, P.A, No. 3:18-cv-590-J-39PDB. The Act also allows the United States to intervene and prosecute the action. Heyck will receive 19% of the proceeds from the settlement.