Attorney General's Weekly Newsletter
Volume 9, Issue 54 • January 20, 2012

Each person who suffered financial harm as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill deserves full and fair compensation. That's why last week I filed a brief in the multi-district oil spill proceedings in New Orleans challenging a plan to take hundreds of millions of dollars from the individual and business claimants who have decided to pursue non-litigation recoveries through the claims process required by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.

In response to my objections and those made by other attorneys general and the federal government, on Thursday a federal judge reversed his decision to require a partial "holdback" of oil spill claimants' recoveries. The amended order ensures that Floridians who received compensation through the claims process do not end up picking up the tab for attorneys who never assisted them.

Claimants who followed Oil Pollution Act requirements by seeking compensation from the Gulf Coast Claims Facility without resorting to litigation should not be forced to pay for legal work from which they derived no benefit and that was performed on behalf of others. I am committed to fighting for a fair and transparent Gulf Coast Claims Facility claims process.

In the News
Miami Herald - Conway, Fla. AG say tighter regs needed on pills
Sunshine State News - Attorney General Announces Sentencing in Oxycodone Case
WUKY Kentucky - Attorneys General in Florida & Kentucky Report Progress in Attacking Pill Mills
Legal Newsline - Oil spill claimants who avoided litigation won't have to pay attorneys

Protecting Floridians
Attorney General's Office Arrests Health Care Provider for False Imprisonment, Neglect of an Elderly Person, Grand Theft and Operating an Unlicensed Assisted Living Facility

Attorney General Pam Bondi today announced that a St. Lucie County health care provider is in custody after being charged with false imprisonment, neglect of an elderly person, grand theft and operating an unlicensed assisted living facility. Rose Mary Joseph, 42, of Ft. Pierce, was arrested today on a felony warrant by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office.

Ms. Joseph is charged with false imprisonment, neglect of an elderly person, grand theft and operating an unlicensed assisted living facility, all third-degree felonies. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison and more than $20,000 in fines. She is currently being held in the St. Lucie County Jail. The case is being prosecuted by the State Attorney’s Office for the 19th Judicial Circuit.

Attorney General Bondi Announces 26-Year Prison Sentence for Southwest Florida Drug Trafficker

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Wednesday that Lapar Conley, 29, of Bradenton has been convicted and sentenced to 26 years in prison on charges of trafficking in oxycodone and conspiracy to traffic in oxycodone. Conley's drug trafficking activities were associated with the JW Wellness pain clinic in Tampa, which was closed by authorities earlier this year for prescribing oxycodone to patients who were presenting fraudulent medical records.

The Manatee County Sheriff's Office conducted the investigation, which led to the seizure of hundreds of oxycodone pills and dismantled a major source of oxycodone in the Bradenton area. Conley was prosecuted by the Office of Statewide Prosecution.

The trial was presided over by Judge Gilbert Smith of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit of Florida.


Events
Junior League Winter Conference
On Tuesday, Attorney General Bondi spoke with many of Florida's Junior League members at their Winter Conference luncheon. Attorney General Bondi applauded the League for their service and dedication to their communities.

Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association
Attorney General Bondi met with the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association on Wednesday and discussed her legislative agenda. Florida's hospitality industry is crucial to the economy, and Attorney General Bondi praised them for everything they do to make Florida a more enjoyable place for residents and visitors.

Attorney General Bondi Speaks at Different Faces of Substance Abuse Conference
On Thursday, Attorney General Bondi joined Kentucky Attorney General Conway to speak at the 3rd Annual Different Faces of Substance Abuse Conference in Lexington, Kentucky. Both attorneys general discussed their efforts to combat prescription drug abuse and their efforts to end the pill pipeline between Kentucky and Florida.