The Virginia Office of the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is being recognized as among the best in the nation.

Federal officials say that during fiscal year 2007, Virginia's Medicaid fraud unit recovered more than $650 million. That's the most ever recovered by a state Medicaid fraud unit.

It earned the unit the Office of the Inspector General's State Fraud Award. The award was presented to Attorney General Bob McDonnell at a ceremony in Washington Monday.

Virginia's Medicaid fraud unit helped lead a state and federal investigation into the Purdue Frederick Company for felony misbranding of the highly addictive painkiller, OxyContin. That led to the recovery of $634 million to state and federal health care and public safety agencies, including $105 million for Virginia.