Contact: Kate Simmons207) 626-8577

Maine Attorney General Janet T. Mills Applauds FDA?s Letters to Alcoholic Energy Drink Manufacturers Stating That Their Products Are Unsafe

Augusta - Attorney General Janet T. Mills applauded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration?s (FDA) issuance of warning letters today to four manufacturers of alcoholic energy drinks (AEDs) stating that the caffeine in their alcoholic beverages, including the popular brands ?Four Loko? and ?Joose,? are ?unsafe food additives,? making these products adulterated under federal law.

Contact: Kate Simmons, 626-8577

Attorney General Mills Announces Results of Fraud Investigations

Maine Attorney General Janet Mills announced the hiring of a new fraud prosecutor to pursue additional cases of abuse of Maine's safety net programs.

Assistant Attorney General Peter Black has been on the job for a month but has already brought several indictments for the misuse of various state administered programs. Mr. Black will focus on theft and fraud by recipients of state programs.

Augusta, ME ? Attorney General Janet T. Mills has filed suit against Lysco Contracting Inc., a residential chimney and furnace repair business operating in central Maine, for unfair and deceptive trade practices.

Attorney General Janet T. Mills announced on October 27, 2010, that the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units joined the federal government to reach an agreement in principle with the pharmaceutical manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to settle allegations that the company introduced adulterated drugs into interstate commerce. As a result, GSK will pay the states and the federal government $600 million in civil damages and penalties for Medicaid and other federally-funded health care programs. Maine will receive $1,808,522 from the settlement.

Augusta, ME ? Attorney General Janet T. Mills announced today her office?s receipt of $135,000 in federal funding to provide Maine consumers with advice about health insurance coverage and their rights to appeal denials by private insurers.

Machias?Attorney General Janet Mills announced that Jackie Fenton, age 61, of Jonesport, Maine, was sentenced in Superior Court in Machias on his plea of guilty to charges of failing to file his state income tax returns for 2003 to 2008. The charges are Class C felonies punishable to up to five years in jail, because this is the second time that Fenton has been convicted of failing to file taxes for multiple years. Fenton, a commercial fisherman, had previously been convicted on February 18, 2004, of failing to file state taxes for 1997 to 2002.

Attorney General Janet T. Mills announced today that Maine has joined with other states and the federal government to reach an agreement in principle with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (Novartis) to settle allegations it improperly promoted Trileptal and engaged in unlawful kickback schemes to induce physicians to prescribe Trileptal, Diovan, Zelnorm, Sandostatin, Exforge and Tekturna. As a result, Novartis will pay the states and the federal government $237.5 million in damages and penalties for losses to the Medicaid and other federal health care programs.

National Take-Back Initiative Press Conference

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Attorney General Janet T. Mills

On September 8th, Attorney General Janet T. Mills, flanked by law enforcement officers and community members, spoke to a crowd in the Hall of Flags about the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative scheduled for September 25th. Her remarks were as follows:

Too often we hear the phrase, ?I?m from the government. I?m here to help you.?

National Take-Back Intitiative Press ConferenceWednesday, September 8, 2010Attorney General Janet T. Mills

Too often we hear the phrase, ?I?m from the government. I?m here to help you.?

Today the members of the state, federal and local governments ask for your help in combatting one of the biggest threats to our social fabric in this decade: prescription drug diversion and abuse.

In the last nine years, the number of deaths from misuse of prescription drugs has more than doubled.

Attorney General Janet T. Mills announced that the State of Maine joined the federal government and other states to reach an agreement in principle with pharmaceutical manufacturer, Allergan, Inc., and Allergan USA, Inc. to settle allegations of improper off-label marketing of the drug Botox. Allergan will pay the states and the federal government $225 million dollars, of which $33 million dollars is for Medicaid nationwide. The MaineCare Program will receive $74,297.00 as restitution of Medicaid monies spent from the settlement.