The DOL Indicted 106 Individuals for Criminal Activity with Respect to Benefit Plans in 2014

This is from Melissa Winn at Employee Benefit Adviser:

Serving as a cautionary tale for employers and their benefit advisers, the Department of Labor’s increased efforts to investigate criminal activity with regards to employee benefit plans continued in fiscal 2014, including the indictment of 106 individuals. 

The DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration closed 365 criminal investigations in fiscal 2014, representing a nearly 30% increase since fiscal 2010. ... 

The number of criminal investigations has been trending upward since fiscal 2001, increasing 155% since then, but has accelerated in recent years, according a legal alert from the law firm Sutherland Asbill & Brennan. ... 

The Affordable Care Act’s reporting requirements have brought increased scrutiny of employer-sponsored health care plans and the government is largely expected to respond to anomalies or red flags with an employer audit. ...