Embattled suburban COVID testing company searched by FBI: report

The Federal Bureau of Investigation searched the headquarters of an embattled suburban COVID-19 testing company this weekend, according to a USA Today report.

FBI Chicago spokesperson Siobhan Johnson confirmed Sunday that the FBI conducted “court-authorized law enforcement activity in Rolling Meadows” on Saturday, though they declined to comment on the nature of the search, citing Department of Justice policy.

USA Today reported the activity was at the headquarters of Center for COVID Control, a Rolling Meadows-based company under investigation in multiple states amid complaints about long waits for test results, among other problems.

Center for COVID Control — which operates in multiple states and has billed the federal government for more than $120 million for testing services — didn’t immediately return the Sun-Times’ request for comment.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Friday that Center for COVID Control would postpone the reopening of its pop-up testing locations in Illinois for the “foreseeable future” as his office investigates claims into the company’s alleged misconduct.

In a statement, Raoul said his office previously contacted Center for COVID Control officials and demanded the company “immediately stop engaging in any fraudulent or deceptive conduct, particularly with respect to the delivery of testing results or billing.”

Center for COVID Control paused its operations earlier this month to train staff on sample collection and handling, customer service and compliance with regulatory guidelines, the company said in a statement.

The company has drawn attention from authorities in Minnesota, where Attorney General Keith Ellison this week announced the state had sued the firm for consumer fraud. Regulators in Oregon and other states also are investigating the company. The Better Business Bureau has given the company an F score.

Contributing: Andy Grimm