WHEELING – The Northern District of West Virginia is among dozens of federal jurisdictions participating in a nationwide health care fraud enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants tied to more than $6.5 billion in alleged fraudulent claims, federal officials announced Tuesday.

U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey said the district announced civil settlements with two defendants as part of the 2026 Department of Justice National Health Care Fraud Takedown, a coordinated effort spanning 56 federal districts and 45 states and territories.

Officials said the local settlements involve allegations tied to improper prescribing practices and billing conduct, including the use of pre-signed, invalid prescriptions issued outside the usual course of professional practice while providers were away from their offices in West Virginia.

“Both here in West Virginia and across the country, the evidence is overwhelming: when health care providers seek convenience or profit instead of complying with the law, the public pays the price,” Harvey said. He said the cases highlight the importance of coordination between federal and state law enforcement agencies.

Nationwide, the Department of Justice said the takedown included 90 doctors and other licensed professionals among those charged, along with alleged schemes involving opioid abuse and false claims. Officials also reported parallel civil settlements, administrative actions and provider suspensions tied to Medicare and Medicaid programs.

In West Virginia, two civil settlements were announced:

Jorge Roig, 58, of Weirton, agreed to pay $165,900 to resolve allegations involving improper prescribing practices and failure to comply with controlled substance requirements, including recordkeeping and registration rules, officials said.

Muhammad Salman, 64, of Bridgeport, W.Va., agreed to pay $325,000 to resolve allegations involving claims submitted to Medicare and Medicaid and the use of pre-signed prescriptions outside the usual course of professional practice, according to federal officials.

Authorities said the nationwide operation involved multiple federal agencies, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Drug Enforcement Administration, along with state Medicaid Fraud Control Units.

Officials said CMS actions included suspending more than 1,000 providers and revoking billing privileges for more than 1,400 others. Additional enforcement actions included civil monetary settlements, provider exclusions and administrative cases targeting controlled substance prescribing authority.

“This year’s National Health Care Fraud Takedown represents the greatest whole-of-government effort to combat health care fraud in our nation’s history,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said.

West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey said the effort reflects continued cooperation between state and federal agencies.

“HHS-OIG will continue to pursue those who engage in such conduct and hold them accountable,” said Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General T. March Bell.

Officials emphasized that allegations remain unproven unless determined in court. “An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation,” the Justice Department noted in its release.

The investigation involved coordination across numerous U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and state Medicaid Fraud Control Units nationwide.

The Department of Justice said additional case descriptions are available on its website.