As the IRS and state tax authorities cracking down on crypto investors and traders, cryptocurrency tax fraud whistleblowers stand to receive significant awards Mark A. Strauss Law, PLLC, a whistleblower law firm, is encouraging individuals with information regarding tax evasion in connection with cryptocurrency transactions to contact whistleblower attorney Mark…
Athenahealth allegedly violated the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and False Claims Act by paying kickbacks for clients referrals Healthcare technology firm Athenahealth has agreed to pay $18.25 million to settle allegations it violated the False Claims Act by paying illegal kickbacks for client referrals as part of initiatives to promote its…
Court takes “holistic approach” to materiality, rejecting strict focus on the ultimate “payment decision” in significant win for qui tam whistleblowers and the government A few weeks ago, I blogged about United States v. Strock. There, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals determined that the Supreme Court’s decision in Universal Health…
Second Circuit rules that relevant government “payment decision” under Escobar included Veterans Administration’s initial decision to award contracts based on claim that contractor qualified as a “service-disabled, veteran-owned small business”—not just the VA’s subsequent decisions to make payments under those contracts In a key victory for the federal government and…
Fourth Circuit reasons that proving the fraudulent state of mind required for False Claims Act liability would defeat any claim of qualified immunity State or local government officials alleged to have violated the False Claims Act by defrauding the federal government cannot raise “qualified immunity” as a defense, the Fourth…
Linde AG used incorrect Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) codes and failed to declare “assists” on steel products imported from China The German firm Linde AG has agreed to pay $22.2 million to resolve allegations it knowingly dodged U.S. customs duties on imports of steel components from China. The qui tam…
Fraud in connection with receipt of federal bailout funds held to be actionable under the False Claims Act The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of two financial sector qui tam whistleblowers, reviving their claims under the False Claims Act that Wells Fargo lied about its financial…
Centric Parts of California evaded 2.5% tariff by misclassifying “mounted” brake pads as “unmounted.” In yet another False Claims Act settlement involving customs fraud and tariff enforcement, California aftermarket auto parts supplier CWD Holdings, LLC – which does business as Centric Parts – has agreed to pay $8 million to…
Firm allegedly provided government with inaccurate cost data during contract negotiations, failed to disclose that estimates had been reduced by automation of manual tasks. Federal prosecutors have announced that CDM Smith, an environmental engineering and construction firm located in Fairfax, Virginia, has agreed to pay $5.6 million to resolve claims…
Management pressured staff to inflate Medicare reimbursements by “upcoding” and “ramping.” The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has held that arrangements with a third-party litigation funder did not deprive a whistleblower of legal “standing” to pursue her claims under the False Claims Act. It also upheld a $255 million jury…