Dont ComplyThe U.S. Department of Justice announced on November 5, 2026 that Laurent Cassagnol, an Advanced Medical Support Assistant for the VA Community Care Program, was sentenced to 6 months in prison, and Heriberto Rivera, CEO of Family Integrative Medicine of Orlando, was sentenced to 13 months. According to court documents cited by the department, Rivera paid kickbacks and bribes to Cassagnol, who used his VA position to steer veterans and their families to Rivera's clinic for acupuncture, chiropractic and other holistic services. Cassagnol was ordered to forfeit $175,172 and Rivera $515,542. The department says over $14 million in fraudulent claims were submitted, of which over $11 million was paid. A complaint to the VA Office of the Inspector General fraud hotline prompted the investigation. The release does not report a response from either man.
Why it matters
The Justice Department says a VA employee abused his role as a key point of contact between veterans and the VA health care system, and that more than $11 million in claims tied to the scheme was paid.
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