INTERNACIONAL
Pennsylvania AG explains why state leads nation in Medicaid fraud convictions while others battle mass schemes
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Pennsylvania’s Republican Attorney General Dave Sunday detailed how his state has become number one in the country in convicting Medicaid fraudsters in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.
«As you know, in Pennsylvania we had the most Medicaid fraud convictions in the entire country last year. And the reason for that is because of how aggressively we investigate and prosecute these cases,» Sunday told Fox News Digital.
«We have an absolute moral duty to protect the most vulnerable amongst us. And one of the ways we can do that is making sure that the resources that are meant to go to them actually get to them,» he continued.
Amid a strong push from the White House to investigate and prosecute fraud nationwide — demonstrated through Vice President JD Vance’s White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud — Medicaid fraud in particular has come into the spotlight.
I’M OHIO’S STATE AUDITOR — MEDICAID FRAUD IS NOT JUST A WASHINGTON PROBLEM
FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson and Vice President Vance meet to discuss efforts to combat fraud and enhance accountability in social welfare programs. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP via Getty Images)
In May, Vance’s task force announced an indictment in a $46.6 million Minnesota Medicaid fraud scheme that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called the «largest autism fraud bust in American history.»
And as high-profile fraud busts involving foreign nationals in Minnesota, California and other blue states increasingly highlight the prevalence of social service scams, Sunday’s efforts in a purple state stand out especially.
Key to Sunday’s nation-leading conviction rate, he told Fox News Digital, is the emphasis his office places on collaboration, including with his state’s Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro.
«We collaborate on a lot of issues, and this is one of those issues that our offices do collaborate on. The State Inspector General’s Office works with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General to make sure that we receive those complaints, and then we take them and we run with them,» Sunday explained.
In 2025, HHS’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) ranked Pennsylvania’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit number one in total fraud charges filed against individuals, while ranking Pennsylvania number three in total fraud convictions for the fiscal year 2024. For fiscal year 2025, the OIG ranked Pennsylvania third in charges and first in total convictions, suggesting a marked improvement in conviction efficiency.
«The reason why we are so successful and the reason the states that are successful are is because they’re working as a team together. This is much greater than any individual office,» Sunday told Fox News Digital.
FINAL WALZ FRAUD REPORT RIPS ‘CULTURE OF TOLERANCE’ AS MINNESOTA TAXPAYERS FACE BILLIONS IN ALLEGED LOSSES
«You have to work hard as an office. You have to collaborate with your federal partners, your local partners, your state partners. You have work with the different service providers. This has to be an all hands on deck effort where you collaborate and coordinate with everyone humanly possible. And that’s not just to get the successful prosecutions, but it’s to get their referrals. People have to know what to look for,» he continued.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday, then the Republican candidate for Pennsylvania attorney general, speaks during a rally for Dave McCormick, then a Republican U.S. Senate candidate, at Beerded Goat Brewery in Harrisburg, Pa., on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
His collaborative efforts, combined with vigilance, have prevented Pennsylvania from falling into the same trap as Minnesota, which had the seventh most fraud convictions in 2025, according to the HHS-OIG.
«The goal is to not let those criminal enterprises take root. That is the way that you have to do this to make sure that it doesn’t turn into a Minnesota. That’s how you have do it. You have to stay ahead of it. Every step of the way. You can’t ever let it grow. You have to watch it when it happens. And you have to make sure that you prioritize these cases, because as an AG, your time and efforts could go to a million different places. But when you’re like here in Pennsylvania, we are hyper focused on community safety,» Sunday said.
SEC SCOTT BESSENT: HOW TO STOP FRAUD IN MINNESOTA—AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY
He highlighted the need for collaboration, especially considering the cross-border and transnational efforts of many convicted fraudsters. The women convicted in the Minnesota autism fraud bust notably were sending millions of dollars in fraudulently obtained Medicaid payments back to their families in Kenya, prosecutors said.
«Remember, criminal enterprises, they don’t care about borders and they don’t pick and choose what jurisdiction that they’re only going to stick to. And so collaboration can’t know borders either. So we work with other states. We work across the country with other AG’s offices. We do everything we can to identify these cases and then hold these actors accountable because what’ll happen is a lot of times these cases will span multiple states. And so if you have an organization or a criminal enterprise that is operating in one state, there’s a good chance they’re operating in another state as well. And so when we can come together and work as a team, that allows us to be able to have even greater impact.»
Sunday praised Vance’s task force as a valuable focal point to catalyze statewide anti-fraud efforts.
Vice President JD Vance joined by White House deputy chief of staff and Homeland Security advisor Stephen Miller and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Andrew Ferguson during a roundtable discussion on anti-fraud initiatives on May 26, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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«I’m very thankful for the Vice President. I’m thankful for Vice President Vance and for his efforts in bringing everyone together and to sort of create a hub and spoke model where we all can work together and collaborate because that’s the only way that these cases are gonna be solved,» Sunday said.
He also highlighted cases his office had prosecuted in recent months as part of their efforts.
«We had a huge conviction this year with the Broad Street Family Pharmacy in Philadelphia. And these are individuals that were billing Medicaid up to $12 million for expensive medications that oftentimes they didn’t even obtain, let alone give to someone who needed that medication to stay alive. And so those are the type of cases we have to really go after, because when they are making that much money, if we don’t get involved, if we didn’t investigate it, they’re just gonna keep doing it,» he told Fox News Digital.
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In that case, the state charged nine people in a sprawling alleged scheme that prosecutors say included fraudulent claims for HIV drugs and antipsychotic medications, as well as a pill purchasing kickback plot.
The alleged scheme’s ringleaders — Peter Dello Buono and Frank Bengermino — were sentenced to between 1.5 and five years in prison and ordered to pay $12.25 million in restitution. Five of the other seven plead guilty to various charges, while the remaining two have pending cases.
That $12.25 million is almost equal to the amount of federal funding that Pennsylvania’s Medicaid Fraud unit got in 2025. An HHS grant that composes three quarters of the state’s Medicaid fraud unit funding comes in at roughly $12.8 million.
Sunday also revealed that the Medicaid fraud unit recovers over four times the amount of money it spends on investigations.
«For every dollar spent in our Medicaid section, we recover $4.64. So think about that investment. For every dollar we spend, we recover $4.64 through our investigations and convictions. And I go back to the convictions because you can obtain restitution through sentences and through convictions. And if you can’t get those convictions, then you’re gonna leave a lot of that money with the bad actors that you can get back to taxpayers,» he told Fox News Digital.
In addition to busting blatant fraud schemes, Sunday’s office also prosecutes neglect and abuse cases that involve Medicaid claimants.
«Some of these cases, especially the abuse and neglect cases are some of the absolute most horrific cases that any prosecutor sees. I’m a career prosecutor. I’ve been doing this for a long time. And when you see services that are supposed to be rendered that aren’t and you see individuals that are seniors, that are suffering in pain as a result of it, those are cases that those individuals need to not just be charged, but they need to be convicted,» he said.
DOGE’S MEDICAID DATA DUMP AIMS TO EXPOSE FRAUD — BUT PRIVACY AND LEGAL HURDLES LOOM
He pointed to the case of Kelly R. Gonzalez, a personal care administrator who a jury convicted on two counts of felony neglect in February when she failed to refill a care home resident’s seizure medication leading to his 2021 seizure death.
«The defendant in this case, Gonzalez, was tasked with overseeing the prescribing of medication in this home. One of her jobs was making sure that residents received the prescribed medications,» Sunday said. «There was a resident in that home, the victim, who did not receive the prescribed seizure medication. And the defendant, in this case, Gonzales, found out about it and still didn’t provide the medication.»
According to witness testimony, two of Gonzalez’s colleagues informed her that her patient needed a refill, but she still failed to get his medication refilled.
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«Apparently the victim in that case went 10 days without medication, and obviously when you’re taking serious medication, life-saving medication and you go 10 days without it, then there can be serious ramifications,» Sunday told Fox News Digital.
«So as a result of that, the victim in this case died,» he concluded.
Fox News Digital contacted the White House and Shapiro’s office for additional comment.
governors, investigations, pennsylvania, philadelphia, crime world
INTERNACIONAL
Estados Unidos bombardeó Irán tras el ataque a un buque en el estrecho de Ormuz, mientras en Washington se firma un acuerdo tripartito
El Ejército estadounidense bombardeó este viernes a Irán como represalia por un ataque que la República Islámica había realizado el jueves a un buque de carga en el estrecho de Ormuz, lo que complica aún más la débil tregua en Medio Oriente, mientras en Washington se firmaba un acuerdo trilateral entre el gobierno de Estados Unidos, Israel y Líbano para frenar los enfrentamientos en esa región.
El ataque fue confirmado por el Comando Central de Estados Unidos (Centcom) que señaló que fue ejecutado por aviones que atacaron almacenes de drones y misiles iraníes, así como bases costeras de radares.
El Centcom acusó a Irán de «violar el alto al fuego» y dijo que su acción fue «una respuesta contundente» al ataque del jueves de Irán contra el buque M/V Ever Lovely, con bandera de Singapur, mientras estaba saliendo del estrecho de Ormuz a lo largo de la costa de Omán.
«La agresión injustificada contra el transporte marítimo comercial por parte de las fuerzas iraníes violó claramente el alto el fuego», añadió en su comunicado el Centcom y advirtió que «el comportamiento peligroso de Irán socavó la libertad de navegación en un momento en que el comercio fluye cada vez más a través de este corredor comercial internacional de vital importancia».
El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, había acusado esta mañana a Irán de una violación «insensata» del alto el fuego por lanzar «al menos cuatro drones de ataque unidireccional contra barcos que transitaban por el estrecho de Ormuz».
El incidente ocurrió a 7,5 millas náuticas al sureste de Dahit, en Omán, según la Agencia británica de Operaciones de Comercio Marítimo (UKMTO), que recomendó precaución a los buques en la vía, por donde pasa el 20 % del crudo global.
Este sería el primer ataque registrado en la zona desde que Estados Unidos e Irán firmaron la semana pasada un memorando de entendimiento para acabar con las hostilidades y reabrir el tráfico en Ormuz, en lo que negocian un acuerdo final que aborde el programa nuclear iraní.
El Centcom aseguró que las fuerzas estadounidenses «continúan brindando coordinación y apoyo para el paso seguro de las embarcaciones comerciales que transitan por el estrecho».
El vicepresidente JD Vance advirtió que Estados Unidos responderá a cualquier ataque de Irán con «violencia» y recordó que «Irán firmó un acuerdo de alto el fuego. Nosotros lo hemos respetado. Si tienen desacuerdos sobre cómo se está aplicando el memorando de entendimiento, pueden levantar el teléfono. Pero la violencia será respondida con violencia».
En Washington se firmó un acuerdo trilateral en busca de la paz en Medio Oriente
En medio de la compleja red de conflictos históricos que lleva décadas en Medio Oriente, autoridades de Israel y Líbano firmaron este viernes un acuerdo bajo el auspicio de Estados Unidos en busca de la paz que se ve complicada por la presencia de la agrupación terrorista Hezbolá en el sur libanés.
El secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, destacó que este acuerdo daba «un marco para una paz y una seguridad duraderas», aunque admitió que «es el comienzo del comienzo. Queda mucho trabajo por delante».
El primer ministro israelí, Benjamín Netanyahu, celebró el documento como una victoria contra Irán, mientras Teherán sostiene que el conflicto de Israel en Líbano contra su aliado Hezbolá es inseparable de la guerra más amplia, y debe formar parte del acuerdo final que están negociando Washington y Teherán.
Netanyahu afirmó que, en virtud del acuerdo, se permitiría al ejército libanés tomar el control de «dos zonas piloto» para empezar a asumir el control de partes del sur de Líbano, cerca del río Litani, a unos treinta kilómetros de la frontera con Israel.
El presidente libanés, Joseph Aoun, celebró el acuerdo como «un primer paso» hacia la restauración de la soberanía de Líbano, sin «ocupación», «subordinación» ni «tutela».
esde el sur de Líbano, el diputado del Hezbolá Hassan Fadlallah puso reparos y estimó que aplicar el trato entraña un riesgo de «guerra civil».
Las «autoridades libanesas no podrán imponer la aplicación del acuerdo firmado en Washington a menos que se encaminen, con apoyo estadounidense, hacia una guerra civil», afirmó.
Con información de las agencias AP y EFE. SMB
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reaffirmed the Trump administration’s commitment to holding Atlanta’s Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) «accountable» following the horrific stabbing death of a great-grandmother, announcing Friday that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is actively scrutinizing the transit system’s safety and security plans.
In an X post Friday, Duffy said the FTA has launched a comprehensive review of MARTA’s security spending and safety protocols, along with risks to riders and workers.
He noted that while MARTA met the government’s initial deadline for a response and assured the administration they are taking action, the FTA «won’t stop there.»
John Elijah Matthews faces a federal charge of committing an act of violence causing death on a mass transportation system, after he allegedly stabbed 66-year-old Margaret Swan aboard a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) train. (@SecDuffy/X)
ATLANTA TRAIN STABBING SUSPECT FACES NEW CHARGE AS FEDS WEIGH DEATH PENALTY IN GREAT-GRANDMOTHER’S KILLING
«We are examining every aspect of their plan to verify if substantive improvements are being made,» Duffy wrote in the post. «This includes pouring over hundreds of pages of documents and conducting on-site visits to see the situation on the ground. We will continue to work to secure Atlanta’s system for passengers and transit workers alike.»
The intense federal review into MARTA was launched after the unprovoked killing of 66-year-old Margaret Swan.
Swan was riding a northbound MARTA train near the Oakland City Station on May 30 when John Elijah Matthews, 25, allegedly approached her, reached into his pocket and opened a folding knife.
John Elijah Matthews allegedly began the attack by cutting the throat of the victim, identified as Margaret Swan, just seconds after he walked up next to where she was sitting on a train approaching the Oakland City MARTA station. (MARTA | Fulton County Sheriff’s Office)
DISTURBING CONTENT WARNING: ILLEGAL ACCUSED OF KILLING GEORGIA GRANDMOTHER FACES NEW DISTURBING CHARGES
According to prosecutors and a Fulton County arrest warrant, Matthews sliced Swan’s throat and subsequently stabbed her approximately 18 to 20 times in the neck and chest as she screamed and attempted to defend herself.
Matthews allegedly threw Swan to the floor before exiting the train at the Oakland City Station, where MARTA police arrested him holding a bloody knife.
Despite emergency medical aid from first responders, Swan was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police officers arrested John Elijah Matthews immediately near the train after several witnesses saw the violent act take place. Emergency medical workers attempted life-saving efforts, but the 66-year-old victim died on the scene. (WAGA-TV)
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Witnesses confirmed there was no interaction between the two prior to the attack.
Matthews is facing a local felony murder charge and has been federally charged with committing an act of violence using a dangerous weapon with intent to cause death on a mass transportation system.
If convicted, he could face life in prison or the death penalty, a determination that will be made by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
DUFFY WARNS CHICAGO, BOSTON TRANSIT SYSTEMS COULD RISK FEDERAL SUPPORT AMID RISING VIOLENCE
In an X post earlier this month, Duffy said the rates of assaults, robberies and rapes on MARTA’s trains are «MORE THAN THREE TIMES the national average.»
The FTA’s audit aims to examine if MARTA has properly implemented its safety plans to protect passengers and how it has allocated federal funds intended for security improvements.
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MARTA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
travel safety, atlanta, transportation, crime, fox news investigates
INTERNACIONAL
Rubio announces framework deal between Israel and Lebanon as experts warn Iran will fight to sabotage it
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the U.S.-brokered framework agreement between Jerusalem and Lebanon on Friday as a robust first step toward peace and a rejection of Iranian interference in the region.
The breakthrough could lead to a path of diplomatic normalization between the two countries, Lebanon and Israel, that are in a formal state of war. The framework agreement may impede the Iran-backed terrorist movement Hezbollah that has gained control over parts of the Lebanese state, according to experts.
Hezbollah and Israel have fought two wars since the terrorist organization joined Hamas’ invasion of Israel in Oct. 7, 2023 and following U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran in February.
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Hezbollah launches long-range missiles from Lebanon into northern Israel within 48 hours of strikes on Iran, escalating the widening conflict amid Operation Epic Fury. (Hadi Mizban/AP)
Rubio said, «Today is a good day in that we are happy to announce a framework agreement between the sovereign government of Lebanon and, of course, the government of Israel, with a mediation and support of the United States of America, that begins to put in place a framework for lasting peace and security.»
He added, «And that’s what these two nations deserve.»
According to the Press Service of Israel (TPS-IL), Netanyahu termed the deal «a severe blow to Iran.» He added that the Islamic Republic seeks to force an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, and «essentially Israel, Lebanon and the United States are telling them: This is none of your business. You have no role in southern Lebanon — neither you, nor Hezbollah nor any other terrorist organization.»
U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, wrote on X:» Was there all week but had to fly back to Israel Thursday night. Historic opportunity but key is disarming Hezbollah, evil terrorists who have killed Americans. Israel, Lebanon sign framework peace agreement following US-backed negotiations.»
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter applaud after signing a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon with State Department Counselor Daniel Holler, and Lebanon’s Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh, at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 26, 2026. (Ken Cedeno/Reuters)
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun, in an Arabic-language X Post, thanked the U.S. administration, led by President Donald Trump, «for its efforts in hosting and facilitating the negotiations and for supporting Lebanon’s position.»
Rubio’s optimistic announcement encouraged some veteran Lebanon experts about a historic opportunity for peace, while others warned about the necessity to proceed with caution.
Guila Fakhoury, whose father, Amer, was kidnapped by Hezbollah in 2019, told Fox News Digital that «Today marks a historic achievement. For the first time since 1983, Lebanon and Israel have reached an agreement through direct negotiations. It also represents a fundamental shift in regional dynamics, demonstrating that Lebanon’s future need not be contingent upon broader regional negotiations or arrangements negotiated through proxy influence. In that sense, this agreement supersedes previous efforts to tie Lebanon’s stability and sovereignty to external agendas.»
Fakhoury, added, «If these commitments are fulfilled, this agreement could become the foundation for long-term cooperation, security, economic opportunity and shared stability that benefits both the Lebanese and Israeli people.»
HEZBOLLAH DISARMAMENT DEADLOCK RISKS CIVIL WAR, ANALYSTS SAY, AS US PREPARES FOR ISRAEL–LEBANON TALKS
Hezbollah al-Mahdi scouts parade with large portraits of Iran’s late leader Ayatollah Khomeini and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during an event for Jerusalem Day in Nabatiyeh, Lebanon, on Aug. 1, 2013. (Hussein Malla/AP Photo)
She continued, «However, whether this agreement brings lasting peace and stability will depend entirely on its implementation. The Lebanese state and its legitimate institutions must be the ones to create stability, not external actors or armed organizations operating outside government authority.»
Walid Phares, a leading U.S. expert on Lebanon and the Mideast, told Fox News Digital, «This agreement is just a ceasefire not a conduit to a larger peace deal. Hezbollah take orders from Iran. It’s clear Tehran will complain about such a deal and pressure the negotiators to get some statement from Washington asserting the Islamic Republic’s say over Lebanon. Hezbollah will attack the deal but will pray Israel won’t strike. The Trump administration will have to calibrate between the Rubio-sponsored agreement on Lebanon and the fragility of the situation in the Gulf.»
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump. (Avi Ohayon / GPO)
He added, «The regime is telling Hezbollah ‘keep the narrative up and radical but let us get the money first.’ Israel is giving its public something and mindful of Trump’s concerns about the deal with Iran. The Lebanese government is hoping their army does not have to engage. The only unknown is the ability of the Lebanese opposition to rise and resist Hezbollah. We are still inside the Lebanese status quo.»
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Hanin Ghaddar, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, wrote on X: «Absolutely a breakthrough,» This is the first agreement between Israel and Lebanon since 1983. A clear and loud ‘NO’ to Iran as it challenges its efforts to control Lebanon ‘s file.»
She added, «But as the 1983 agreement was toppled by the bad guys then (Assad regime), Iran will try everything to make sure this one fails as well. Lebanon and Israel have a responsibility in making sure this agreement is protected, and its implementation is successful. We will probably not have another chance.»
lebanon, marco rubio, benjamin netanyahu, treaties, iran, israel, donald trump
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