Payments News Update – February 20, 2026
Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Visa, Mastercard Can't Avoid Swipe Fee Claims Pass-On Law360 – February 18, 2026 (subscription required) Mastercard and Visa lost a bid on Wednesday to fend off a class action from retailers over unlawful card payment fees by arguing that the merchants didn't suffer loss because they passed on the charges. The Competition Appeal Tribunal ruled in a written judgment that the card companies had largely...
Top 10 Healthcare-Related False Claims Act Recoveries in 2025
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team Last year was a record year for False Claims Act recoveries. As the Department of Justice (DOJ) reported in its 2025 False Claims Act Roundup, the $6.9 billion the Government recovered in 2025 was the most for any single year under the statute. Unsurprisingly, more than 80% of this amount (or $5.7 billion) came from matters involving healthcare-related fraud. It has been that way...
Asphalt Companies Will Pay $30M Total to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team Two Ohio-based asphalt companies agreed to pay $30 million to settle False Claims Act allegations that they submitted fraudulent test results to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) for federally funded asphalt projects in Ohio.[1] What Will Each Company Pay? Kokosing Materials, Inc. will pay $17.5 million to resolve allegations that it submitted false or fraudulent test results from 2012 to 2024. Barrett Paving Materials,...
Love Over Hate: Top Moments Bad Bunny’s Art Became Activism and Powered the Whistleblower Spirit
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team From his international reach in music, political outspokenness, and record-breaking streaming numbers to his sonically-electrifying beats and undeniable impact, Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) has solidified his status as a cultural catalyst, activist and truly iconic artist of his generation. He blends styles including reggaeton and Latin trap music and has been amassing landmark achievements while speaking volumes and sharing messages beyond the music....
Payments News Update – February 13, 2026
Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Illinois Merchants Score a Big Win in Their Battle for Interchange Relief Digital Transactions News – February 11, 2026 Illinois merchants scored a big victory late Tuesday in their battle for interchange relief as United States District Court Judge Virginia Kendall upheld the Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act. The decision, which comes after more than a year of legal wrangling, means the IFPA will go...
Top 10 False Claims Act Recoveries in 2025
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team As we reported last month in our post on the Department of Justice (DOJ) 2025 False Claims Act roundup, last year was another record year for False Claims Act recoveries. In fact, the $6.9 billion the Government recovered in 2025 is the largest single-year haul ever under the statute. As usual, the majority of that amount -- more than $5.3 billion -- came from...
Department of Justice Stings Insect Shield LLC and Co-Founder’s Estate with $1.4M Settlement of Insect Repellent False Claims Act Allegations
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a $1.4 million False Claims Act settlement to resolve claims Insect Shield LLC falsified test results for the insect repellent it applied to Army combat uniforms. The settlement will come from Insect Shield as well as the Estate of Richard Lane, a co-founder and co-owner of the company who passed away in December 2022.[1] The Allegations Against...
Whistleblower-Initiated: Arthritis & Rheumatology Center, P.C. and its Owner Settle False Claims Act Case
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team On January 29, the United States Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Georgia announced that Arthritis & Rheumatology Center, P.C. (“ARC”) and its owner, Jatin Patel, M.D., will pay $2.18 million to settle allegations the practice used medical assistants to perform infusion services in violation of Georgia law and submitted claims for those services to Medicare in violation of the False Claims Act.[1] Case Initiated...
Payments News Update – February 6, 2026
Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Why Some Payments Companies Want to Be Banks Banking Dive – February 3, 2026 Companies like Stripe and Affirm Holdings, which have applied for federal and state banking charters in recent months, are looking for greater control and greater flexibility, in addition to cost savings, according to analysts and consultants who follow the payments industry. Other companies pursuing state and federal charters include PayPal, Revolut,...
Fallcatcher Principal Henry Ford Sentenced to Prison for $5M Investor Fraud
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team On January 21, United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Florida-based individual Henry Ford (also known as Cleothus “Lefty” Jackson) was sentenced to 66 months in prison for defrauding investors out of roughly $5 million.[1]The court also ordered Ford to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $2,095,480 in restitution.[2] Ford Pleaded Guilty to Securities and Wire Fraud In March 2023, a federal...