Merck Pays More Than $400 Million to Settle Federal, State Medicaid Fraud Investigation Sparked by Qui Tam Whistleblower Case Detailing Marketing Schemes for Vioxx(R), Zocor(R), Several O...(Merck documents and fostered the coordin...),Health

At the state level, Nevada Chief Deputy Attorney General Tim Terry, head of the state's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, worked with the whistleblower legal team on the groundbreaking companion case brought by the State of Nevada and the whistleblower. The Nevada case is part of the of the $400 million global settlement announced today.

Terry and Patrick Keenan, Deputy Attorney General for Illinois, along with representatives from Attorneys' General Offices in Delaware, Massachusetts and Illinois made up the investigation team on behalf of the States' Medicaid fraud units that brought about today's global settlement.

Cohen, Kleiman and Yeager praised the work of the investigation team. "The federal and state prosecutors on this case represent the highest calling of public service, Cohen said. "If it had not been for Tim Terry, Viveca Parker and the rest of the Government team we would not be announcing today's global settlement against Merck."

United States ex rel. Steinke, et al. v. Merck & Co., Inc., U.S. Dist. Ct. Case No. 00-CV-6158 (E.D. Pa.)

State of Nevada ex rel. Steinke v. Merck & Co., Inc., U.S. Dist. Ct. Case No. 3:05-cv-00322 HDM RAM (D. Nev.)

Attention Reporters: Visit and bookmark the precedent-setting original content Web reference developed for this case at http://www.drugfraudsettlement.com. The site provides an in-depth look at the fraud allegations, federal and state laws, and includes an extensive timeline with milestone dates/periods during the seven-year investigation. Also explained is the new model of cooperation among federal and state investigators, relator and qui tam whistleblower attorneys which promises to be the basis for future complex healthcare fraud qui tam investigations.