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Articles Posted in Qui Tam

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Helicopter Flight School and Community College Pay $7.5M to Settle False Claims Acts Whistleblower Lawsuit

Pilot training program allegedly falsified enrollment figures to obtain Veterans Affairs funding Universal Helicopters Inc. and Dodge City Community College have paid $7.5 million to resolve allegations they violated the False Claims Act by making false statements to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in connection with a training program…

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Opportunity Beckons for Cryptocurrency Tax-Fraud Whistleblowers

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…

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California Companies Affiliated with Chinese Billionaire “Uncle Liu” Found Guilty of Fraudulent Scheme to Dodge U.S. Customs Duties on Aluminum Imports, Ordered to Pay $1.8B in Restitution

Extruded aluminum imports fraudulently misclassified as warehouse pallets to evade anti-dumping and countervailing (AC/CVD) duties A group of California companies affiliated with Chinese Billionaire Liu Zhongtian—known as “Uncle Liu” or “Big Boss”—have been ordered to pay the U.S. government $1.83 billion in restitution after having been convicted of a scheme…

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Qui Tam Relators Stand to Receive Significant Whistleblower Rewards as Electronic Health Records Firm Settles False Claims Act Lawsuit for $18.25M

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…

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Falsely Certifying Eligibility to Participate in Government Programs can Give Rise to Liability under the False Claims Act Post-Escobar, Court of Appeals Holds

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…

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The Shield of Qualified Immunity is Unavailable as a Defense under the False Claims Act, Appellate Court Holds

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…

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Financial Institutions can be Sued under the Whistleblower Provisions of the False Claims Act for Defrauding the Federal Reserve

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…

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Whistleblowers Share $1.48 Million Reward as Importer of Brake Pads Settles Customs Fraud Lawsuit for $8 Million

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…

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Federal Contractor CDM Smith Pays $5.6 Million to Resolve Whistleblower Claims under the False Claims Act Arising out of Scheme to Overcharge Navy

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…

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Appellate Court Approves Whistleblower’s use of Third-Party Litigation Funder, Affirms $255 Million Verdict against Skilled Nursing Facilities for Medicare Fraud

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…