Once a start-up, now a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, Acclarent Medical will pay $18 million to settle a False Claims Act (“FCA”) suit that alleged its medical sales division promoted its devices to physicians for “off-label” uses and provided those physicians “kick-backs” in exchange for their business. Acclarent Medical describes…
Columbia University will pay $9.5 million dollars to settle a False Claims Act suit that alleged the university routinely overcharged federal agencies for medical research. The False Claims Act (“FCA”) allows whistleblowers to bring allegations under seal against companies and institutions that fraudulently bill the federal government. After filing, the government has…
The government has elected to intervene in a False Claims Act (“FCA”) suit filed by West Virginia internet provider, Citynet, against competitor Frontier Communications. The suit alleges that Frontier misused $40.5 million dollars in federal stimulus funds to build a high-speed internet network designed solely to rig the West Virginia…
The U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California recently settled a False Claims Act (“FCA”) lawsuit with the information technology company En Pointe Gov. for $5.8 million dollars. The lawsuit alleged that En Pointe Gov. fraudulently represented itself as a small business in order to bid on government contracts…
A West Palm Beach, Florida-based mortgage company has agreed to a $30 million settlement to rid itself of False Claims Act violation allegations. Ocwen Financial Corp will pay $15 million to the federal government and $15 million to cover the attorneys’ fees and costs incurred by whistleblowers who brought the…
False Claims Act (“FCA”) penalties will double. Last week, the Department of Justice announced that an obscure agency dubbed the Railroad Retirement Board updated FCA penalties as prescribed by Congress. Under the rule, minimum per-claim penalties will jump to $10,781 from $5,500, and maximum per-claim penalties will rise to $21,563…
Travis Thams, the whistleblower who filed a False Claims Act (“FCA”) lawsuit on behalf of the United States and 28 states, stands to receive a substantial portion of the $8 million settlement reached with his employer, Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. (“CSI”). Thams was recruited to CSI to act as a District…
Ricky Howard, a former employee of a California construction company that did work on domestic military bases, will receive $1.48 million dollars for his information regarding fraudulent billing practices. Howard has worked in the masonry trade his entire career, and was employed by Harper Construction Company (“Harper”) when he discovered…
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that Greene LLP’s theory of liability in a False Claims Act suit against a Massachusetts health care provider was, and will remain a viable theory for recovery under the statute. The case, argued before the Supreme Court in Washington, DC on April 19, 2016,…
Last week, M&T Bank (“M&T”), headquartered in Buffalo, New York, agreed to pay $64 million dollars to settle allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act. Whistleblower Keisha Kelschenbach initiated the suit by alleging M&T knowingly originated and underwrote mortgage loans insured by the U.S. Department of Housing and…