Whistleblower News From The Inside – March 24, 2015
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
Fireman’s Fund to pay $44M to settle False Claims Act charges — The government alleged the insurance company knowingly issued insurance policies that were ineligible under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s federal crop insurance program and falsified documents. DOJ
5th Circuit revives whistleblower’s claims of overbilling by coworkers — A unanimous 3-judge panel finds Justin Richardson’s 2013 suit against Texas-based Axion Logistics sufficiently alleged the company allowed employees to submit fraudulent timesheets and mileage logs for reimbursement. CA5
Big win for whistleblowers at Labor Department — The agency’s top whistleblower appeals board issues a 3-2 ruling setting forth the burdens of proof “making it easier for whistleblowers to prevail under numerous corporate whistleblower laws, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Energy Reorganization Act, and the Consumer Safety Act.” NWC
Whistleblower files claims against JC Penney — Former part-time employee Robert Blatchford claims retaliation after reporting the retailer was overcharging customers. Fortune
Former Bechtel executive gets 42 months for Egypt Kickbacks — Asem Elgawhary, Bechtel Corp.’s former principal vice president, was sentenced to 42 months in prison for accepting $5.2M in a scheme to manipulate bidding for power contracts in Egypt. Bloomberg
Detroit-area physician pleads guilty for role in $3.6M Medicare fraud scheme — Kutub Mesiwala pleaded guilty to referring Medicare beneficiaries for home health services in exchange for illegal cash kickbacks. DOJ