William J. Hughes, 73, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States. In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Hughes owned and operated Universal Oral Fluid Labs (UOFL), a clinical drug testing laboratory located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. From October 2011 to August 2013, Hughes, through his lab UOFL, entered into kickbacks-for-referrals arrangement with the co-defendant. Pursuant to this arrangement, Hughes agreed to pay the co-defendant to refer patients, including patients who were covered under the Medicare Program and Kentucky Medicaid Program, to UOFL for drug testing services in exchange for cash payments. Between September 2012 and August 2013, UOFL obtained $1,672,422.84 from the Kentucky Medicaid Program based on these referrals.
