FBI, Other Law Enforcement Agencies Raid LabElite COVID-19 Testing Company Headquarters
UPDATED 02/25/22 3:53 p.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The FBI and other agencies on Wednesday raided a COVID-19 testing lab in the Old Norwood Park community.
Video from Chopper 2 showed Chicago Police and other law enforcement agencies outside headquarters for the testing company LabElite, 5824 N. Northwest Hwy. a couple of blocks north of Bryn Mawr Avenue.
The FBI confirmed that it is "conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity in that vicinity today," but declined to provide further information.
LabElite issued a statement reading, "We are fully cooperating with the U.S. Attorney's office."
It was not clear what the FBI was looking for at LabElite. We do not know if this has anything to do with financial wrongdoing or an issue with how tests are done.
A LabElite spokeswoman told us the company is fully cooperating with the U.S. Attorney's office. The company has been operating since October 2020.
The spokeswoman said they have stringent operating agreements with the testing facilities with whom they work. She would not say how many companies LabElite works with, or whether they are all local.
She did say no one woke up expecting this to happen Wednesday.
The Illinois Attorney General's office also issued the following statement:
"Attorney General Raoul is absolutely committed to protecting residents from those who attempt to profit off of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. We are in regular contact with Illinois residents who reach out to our office with complaints related to COVID testing locations around the state. As a result, today investigators from the Attorney General's office and other law enforcement partners are taking action. We will not comment on active investigations as we work to hold accountable individuals who engage in unlawful conduct."
This action comes after the Rolling Meadows-based Center Covid Control COVID-19 company was hit with multiple investigations and lawsuits.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office has also launched an investigation into the company, which has been accused of fraudulent and deceptive conduct – with some complaining that they never received the results of their tests, among other allegations.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services also told CBS 2's Chris Tye on Friday that they are "CMS is actively investigating numerous complaints about LabElite."
"CMS continues our investigations and will take compliance and enforcement actions as appropriate," the federal agency said. "We have no further information about any investigations by CMS."
The Center for Covid Control is also accused billing the government for $113 million for tests provided to uninsured patients across the country, and many who actually had insurance.
The CBS 2 Investigators first showed how an employee at one pop-up COVID testing center raised concerns about what was going on inside a Hyde Park clinic. He claimed it was filthy and unsafe, with biohazard waste going into an open trash can.
The Center for Covid Control website says all their pop-up testing locations are closed until further notice.
Chicago-based NorthShore Clinical Labs has also been investigated for what sources tell us is fraud and misbehavior.
