Awand Cops A Plea

The third member of the Medical Mafia has taken a deal. Howard Awand was allegedly the coordinator of the local doctors and lawyers who rigged medical malpractice lawsuits and split the profits.

Awand, like Kabins, pled (that's right, we're going with pled) guilty to misprision of a felony, meaning he knew about federal crimes being committed but did not immediately report them.

Awand is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25. He faces up to three years in prison and a $250,000 fine, as well as restitution and a period of supervised release. As part of the agreement, the government agreed not to make any sentencing recommendation.

Prosecutors would not say whether this plea ends their investigation into the Medical Mafia shenanigans. We doubt it. A tipster recently sent us a federal court filing (2:10-cv-00282) which named doctors Raimundo Leon, Michael Prater and Mark Kabins, along with the Gazda & Tadayon law firm and he-who-doesn't-blink as defendants. The cause of action sounds strangely familiar:

Racketeering. Plaintiff says three attorneys and their law firms, and two doctors and their practices participated in a scheme by staging fraudulent medical care and treatments, then creating fraudulent billings and insurance claims. The attorneys and physicians sought payment for corresponding injuries to those fraudulent treatments.

Could this be the beginning of Round 2?

(LV Now; LV Sun; Thanks Tipster!)

Chad GoLightly v. Richard Harris (3rd Round)--voting ends 7/30 at 5pm

Today: Chad Golightly v. . 444-4444 (Richard Harris)

In his first round match, Golightly stared down the competition, taking in 61% of the vote (background on G&A and first round results found here). Then, in the second round, he took down Mr. Sorrentino with 56% of the vote (second round results found here)

Meanwhile, Richard Harris dialed in a victory in the first round with 68% of the vote (background on the Harris firm and first round results found here). In the second round he took out immigration specialist Reza Athari (results found here)

Voting ends on July 30 at 5 p.m.

Golightly & Assoc. v. Frank Sorentino (Round Two)--ends 7/16 at 5 pm

Today, it's the Man Who Never Blinks (Chad Golightly) v. the Man Who Never Ages (Frank Sorrentino)

In his first round match, Golightly stared down the competition, taking in 61% of the vote (background on G&A and first round results found here). Meanwhile, Mr. Sorrentino outlasted his last opponent and pulled in 68% of the vote (background on Frank Sorrentino and first round results found here). Voting ends on July 16 at 5 p.m.

Golightly & Associates v. Jonathan J. Lord (Round 1 of Billboard/Television advertising firm poll)

Welcome to the next match-up in Round One of our Television/Billboard poll. If you've watched TV, you must know Golightly & Associates, who is taking on Jonathan J. Lord. (Vote at the top of the blog until 5 p.m. Wed., June 24).



Meet the Contenders:



Chad Golightly

You can see him nightly during the commercial breaks during the nightly news. You can see his glamour shot billboard all over town. So, who is Chad Golightly?



According to an editorial in the RJ from 2007 (available here), Golightly considers himself "more serious" than other advertisers like The Heavy Hitter. We can only assume that by "more serious," Golightly means "doesn't blink. EVER."



However, at least one former client doesn't agree. One unhappy Golightly client suggested on the Rip Off Report (available here) that Golightly made his money through slapping attorney liens on his former clients after being fired as counsel. While Golightly may be the ruthless businessman some former clients claim he is, WWL has discovered his softer side. (See Golightly's Amazon profile here)



Then there's the lyrical nature of his last name, Golightly, which apparently has other, less mirth-filled meanings. The following comment was left on an RJ post asking for the worst tv lawyer:

I laugh every time I see Chad Golightly (spelling?) on TV... as I'm sure anyone else who has ever worked in a hospital has. Golightly is a liquid given the night before and the morning of some procedures. It tastes nasty (so I've been told) and it's soul purpose is to (how to I put this nicely) clean out your innards. In other words... it makes ya *hit your brains out for about 12 hours. We used to tell people not to venture too far from the bathroom after taking the first dose.

All kidding aside, Golightly & Assoc. is such a television and billboard powerhouse that the firm's ads have even inspired internet satire:

Jonathan J. Lord



Jonathan J. Lord isn't someone with a billboard or a commercial. You can, however, find out everything you need to know from his website, Legal Lord:

First and foremost, this office has been dedicated to God from the day it opened. We believe in treating people fairly and compassionately while at the same time zealously protecting their interests. Our goal is to provide Christ-centered legal representation at a fair rate, thus making high-quality legal representation more available for the Christian and non-Christian alike. We acknowledge that we are accountable to God for our behavior toward others and understand that the way we treat others is our greatest witnessing tool.

Lord's mission statement is crystal clear:

"Hate Evil, Love Good; Maintain Justice In The Courts." Amos 5:15. That says it all.



Sure, Lord may not be as well known or visible as Golightly, but perhaps he blinks while carrying out the Lord's work. An attorney working for the forces of good rather than the forces of evil is a rare thing in contemporary society and we don't readers should count a servant of the Lord out until the votes are tallied.



Cast your vote for your favorite!