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iStock-535434995-1-300x300A postdoctoral research staff member discovered the fraud and filed a whistleblower lawsuit under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act.

New York City public university Hunter College and the former director of its HIV studies center have agreed to pay a combined $575,000 to settle allegations they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly misusing National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant funding while falsely certifying their compliance with federal requirements.

The case, initiated by a qui tam whistleblower, alleged that former Hunter psychology professor Jeffrey Parsons-Hietikko improperly diverted tens of thousands of dollars in NIH grant funds to pay for personal expenses and to compensate HIV studies center staff for unrelated projects.

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Samsung C&T America allegedly declared incorrect HTS tariff classifications on its customs entry documents.

A U.S. unit of the SouiStock-1097810654-300x119th Korean conglomerate Samsung (KSE: KRX:028260.KS) has agreed to pay $1 million to settle allegations it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly misclassifying imports to evade customs duties.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Samsung C&T America knowingly filed customs entry documents misdescribing and listing inaccurate U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule classification codes for footwear it imported from China and Vietnam.

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iStock-1350595566-300x174The technology firm was found to have knowingly included false pricing, rebate, and discount information in disclosures to become a GSA Schedule contractor.

NortonLifeLock (Nasdaq: GEN) has been ordered by a federal court to pay $1.7 million in damages for defrauding the U.S. General Services Administration and the State of California in connection with contracts to provide government agencies with technology services and equipment.

A federal judge found following a bench trial that the company, which is now known as Gen Digital, Inc., violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting incorrect commercial sales information to the GSA, which is the federal government’s contracting and procurement agency.

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iStock-1339057752-300x200International Vitamin Corp. allegedly violated the False Claims Act by misclassifying imports from China as “duty free.”

International Vitamin Corp., a producer of store-brand vitamins and supplements, has agreed to pay $22.8 million to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly evading customs duties on imports from China.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, IVC misclassified imports of raw ingredients and bulk vitamins as duty free when, in fact, those goods were subject to substantial customs duties.

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iStock-1136317631-1-300x200The hiring of the subcontractors by Vescent Photonics allegedly violated conditions on the use of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant funding.

Laser manufacturer and military contractor Vescent Photonics Inc. has agreed with the U.S. Department of Justice to pay $400,000 to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act by improperly employing foreign subcontractors on research projects funded by U.S. government grants.

SBIR program grants
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iStock-1224725343-300x168High Life LLC allegedly reported phony “first sale” prices on import declarations filed with CBP.

New York apparel wholesaler High Life LLC has paid the U.S. government $1.3 million to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act by underdeclaring the value of its imports.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, High Life knowingly reported fictitious “first sale” prices on customs entry documents filed with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, thereby fraudulently reducing the company’s import duties.

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iStock-1173091700-300x200The fraud was discovered by a medical office manager who filed a whistleblower lawsuit under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act.

A Georgia ophthalmologist has agreed to pay $1.85 million to settle allegations she violated the False Claims Act by fraudulently billing Medicare for medically unnecessary cataract surgeries and diagnostic tests as well as medical procedures she never performed.

The fraud was exposed by a former medical practice office manager who filed a whistleblower complaint under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. She will receive a whistleblower award of 15-30% of the settlement proceeds.

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The fraud was exposed by a former Academy underwriter.  She received a qui tam whistleblower award of $11.5M.iStock-1093974328-1-300x175

Utah-based Academy Mortgage has paid $38.5 million to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by falsely certifying its compliance with underwriting requirements for federally insured mortgages.

The fraud was exposed by a former Academy underwriter who filed a False Claims Act whistleblower lawsuit alleging that Academy issued numerous loans without regard to whether they met FHA-HUD criteria. She received 30% of the settlement proceeds—$11.5 million—as a whistleblower award.

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iStock-914267502-300x163Contractor previously paid $5.6 million to resolve allegations it improperly sourced tungsten cubes from China instead of the United States for high-explosive tank rounds sold to Israel.

A federal appeals court has affirmed an award of almost $500,000 in attorney’s fees and expenses to co-whistleblowers who filed a qui tam lawsuit under the False Claims Act exposing a defense contractor’s illegal use of Chinese-sourced materials under a US-financed military procurement contract with Israel.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a trial court order requiring the contractor, California-based Tungsten Heavy Powder & Parts, to pay the fee and expense award.

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The fraud was exposed by two former company executives who filed a qui tam lawsuit under the False Claims Act. They will share a whistleblower award of $8.3 million.
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Pennsylvania-based cardiac monitoring company BioTelemetry, Inc. (Nasdaq: BEAT) and its subsidiary CardioNet LLC have agreed to pay nearly $45 million to resolve allegations they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing federal healthcare programs for services performed by cardiovascular technicians located outside the United States in violation of federal law.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the companies also violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing federal healthcare programs for work performed by technicians who lacked required training and certification.

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