Las Vegas personal injury lawyer Noel Gage has been charged in connection with an alleged conspiracy to inflate medical costs to increase settlements with plaintiffs. He is charged with 18 felonies, which include conspiracy, mail fraud, money laundering, aiding and abetting and obstruction of justice.

The grand jury indictment of Gage alleges that he exchanged referrals with Howard Awand, who was posing as a medical consultant to recruit a network of doctors and lawyers to inflate personal injury claims. In one instance, it is believed that Gage paid over $1 million to Awand without the knowledge of the plaintiff. Gage is also alleged to have paid a doctor over $430,000 from the case.

It is alleged that Gage sent his clients to doctors participating in this network, and the doctors treated patients without being paid until claims were settled. It is further alleged that the doctors charged grossly inflated prices.

The U.S. Attorney’s office says that more indictments are forthcoming in the case, and that the investigation is wide-reaching.