DETROIT, Oct. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Dykema, a leading national law firm, is pleased to announce that, on October 21, 2025, and October 23, 2025, the firm’s national White Collar and Government Investigations Group secured complete dismissal of two separate federal indictments, one in the Western District of Texas and one in the District of Maryland.
In the District of Maryland Greenbelt Division – United States v. Wang, case no. 8:24-cr-00211-TDC-1:
Last Thursday, Dykema secured a rare trial-stage victory when the U.S. Department of Justice dismissed—with prejudice—all charges against its client, Dr. Hoau-Yan Wang, a former medical professor and research scientist at the City University of New York (CUNY) whose research included work on a novel Alzheimer’s drug. The dismissal, entered after a jury had been selected, is highly unusual in federal criminal law and represents a complete vindication for Dr. Wang.
The Dykema team, led by Jennifer L. Beidel with trial counsel Mark D. Chutkow, Timothy B. Caprez, and Emma K.F. Blackwood, successfully:
- Proved that the government’s expert witness—a former blogger—relied on fringe scientific methods, limiting his testimony under Daubert standards.
- Exposed a Brady violation after uncovering evidence that the prosecution failed to disclose: a report from CUNY’s internal investigation finding no scientific misconduct.
- Succeeded on a Batson challenge, after prosecutors struck the only Asian American juror.
Dr. Wang’s story is one of perseverance. A Taiwanese-born U.S. citizen, he spent decades commuting from his Philadelphia rowhouse to his New York laboratory, devoting his career to Alzheimer’s research inspired by his own family’s experience with the disease. “In a true David-and-Goliath battle, Dr. Wang stood against the full might of the federal government to restore his name, integrity, and life’s work,” said Beidel. “We’re honored to have fought this case on his behalf.”
In the Western District of Texas El Paso Division – United States v. Navarro, case no. 3:25-cr-1547-KC:
Just two days earlier, on October 21, 2025, the four-member Dykema Texas team—which includes former Northern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton, former First Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Hogan, former Criminal Chief Tiffany H. Eggers, and former fraud prosecutor Sarah R. Douglas— secured a full dismissal of the federal indictment against their client, Israel Navarro. The dismissal came a mere 71 days after the Dykema team’s first meeting with Navarro on August 11, 2025, which coincided with Eggers and Douglas’s first day as Dykema attorneys.
Navarro had interests in two long-term care hospitals in the El Paso area and was charged with what the government called a “pass-through billing” scheme involving lab tests and claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX). The Dykema team fought the Western District of Texas case on the basis that the billing procedure Navarro’s hospitals used was legal—and endorsed by BCBSTX—and that the government’s theory was an overreach that attempted to transform a simple billing dispute into a federal crime. The team engaged in strategic and coordinated planning from that first meeting on, which resulted in the DOJ dismissing the indictment a mere two-and-a-half months later. Wins along the way included:
- The government’s expert withdrawing from the case, resulting in the government having no expert to testify on medical billing procedures;
- The original prosecutor withdrawing from the case; and
- The Court ordering the government to produce a detailed explanation of why this case, which involved alleged conduct occurring in 2018 but was charged in 2025, fit within the five-year statute of limitations—an explanation the Court was not satisfied with, resulting in the Court ordering the government to supplement its explanation with additional information.
After making these gains, the Dykema team met with the new prosecutor to discuss the many problems with the case and outline additional motions the team would have to file—including for vindictive prosecution and outrageous government conduct—if the DOJ did not dismiss the case. Three days later, the government moved to dismiss, telling the Court that it “no longer wish[ed] to pursue this case.” The following day, the Court granted the motion, ending the case against Navarro and his codefendant. Eggers explained, “For the government to have done such an about face within a matter of days of meeting with us after pursuing something for almost seven years is literally unheard of in federal criminal law.”
This led to Eggers’ and Simonton’s favorite moment since they arrived at Dykema: calling Navarro to tell him the case was over. Eggers described the call as “incredible,” because “that call allowed Mr. Navarro—a husband, father, and grandfather—to restart his life after months of stress, anguish, and uncertainty.”
Eggers continued, “We are proud to have gotten Mr. Navarro the justice he deserved quickly and effectively, although nothing can undo what our client has endured as a result of the government overreach at play in this case.” Simonton added, “I am proud—but not surprised—at the result we were able to achieve for Mr. Navarro, and at these two back-to-back dismissals. Dykema’s team is uniquely well-positioned to get the best results possible for our clients when they encounter thorny issues with the federal government, including criminal charges. We bring almost 90 collective years of DOJ experience, including 200 jury trials and 400 criminal appeals, to bear in each and every matter for the benefit of our clients.”
Dykema healthcare attorney and Member Dean Gould previously represented Navarro in an unrelated hospital transaction and also participated in this representation. The Dykema team further included Associates Cooper Barling, Darren K. Chen, and David Ko.
About Dykema
Dykema serves business entities nationally on a wide range of complex legal issues. Dykema lawyers and other professionals in 13 U.S. offices work in close partnership with clients – from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies – to deliver outstanding results, unparalleled service, and exceptional value in every engagement.
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