Federal Grand Jury Indicts Jacksonville Pharmacy Owner in $51M Fraud Scheme as City Services Overcome Cloud Outage

Jacksonville Pharmacy Owner Indicted in $51 Million Healthcare Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme

JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Federal prosecutors in the Middle District of Florida unsealed a 31-count indictment on Thursday, November 12, 2026, charging Jacksonville pharmacy owner Charlie Bernard Griffin III and an accountant with orchestrating a $51 million healthcare fraud and money laundering conspiracy. Prosecutors allege the defendants submitted more than 20,000 fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid claims for expensive specialty HIV medications by distributing free cellphones to recruit low-income residents and acquire their personal insurance credentials without valid physician prescriptions.

Federal agents executed seizure warrants on luxury vehicles, residential properties, and corporate bank accounts linked to the alleged illicit proceeds.

City of Jacksonville Restores Internal Software Applications After Nationwide Outage

Municipal IT teams in Jacksonville successfully restored city software applications and municipal email systems on Friday morning following an international Microsoft cloud outage that disrupted local government services on Thursday. City administrators confirmed that emergency dispatch, 911 operations, and police communications remained completely unaffected throughout the outage.

Atlantic Beach City Commission Rejects Effort to Terminate Longtime City Manager

In coastal Duval County municipal developments, the Atlantic Beach City Commission voted down a surprise motion introduced by Mayor Curtis Ford seeking the immediate dismissal of City Manager Kevin Hogencamp. Commissioners affirmed their strong support for Hogencamp's administrative leadership, confirming he will continue overseeing coastal infrastructure and beach renourishment projects until his planned retirement in August 2027.