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Question of the Week -- Will New Tariffs Result in More Fraudulent Tariff Dodging?

Posted 06/6/18

On May 31, the White House announced new tariffs on steel and aluminum entering the United States from Canada, Mexico, and the European Union. Steel from those countries and the European Union will be subject to a 25% tariff, and aluminum will be subject to a 10% tariff. While the steel and aluminum tariffs were originally proposed to apply to imports from a larger number of countries, the White House announcement...

Tagged in: Customs Fraud, FCA Federal, International Whistleblowers, Question of the Week,

Constantine Cannon Partner Eric Havian Will Be a Guest Speaker for the American Bar Association’s National Institute on the Civil False Claims Act and Qui Tam Enforcement

Posted 06/5/18

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team On Thursday, June 14, at 10:45am Eastern, Partner Eric Havian will be speaking as a special panel at the American Bar Association’s 12th National Institute on the Civil False Claims Act and Qui Tam Enforcement in Washington, DC. Mr. Havian will discuss relator and government prerogatives, the development of damages and the negotiation of settlement agreements. Click here for...

Tagged in: CC Lawyers, FCA Federal,

US Obtains $114M FCA Judgement in Kickbacks Case

Posted 05/31/18

On May 23, the US District Court in South Carolina issued judgment for the US for roughly $114M against three individuals, LaTonya Mallory, Floyd Dent III, and Robert Johnson, for violating the FCA by paying kickbacks to doctors in exchange for patient referrals. The defendants also caused two labs to bill Medicare, TRICARE, and Medicaid for medically unnecessary tests. The judgment follows a January jury verdict that...

Tagged in: Anti-Kickback and Stark, FCA Federal, Healthcare Fraud, Lack of Medical Necessity, Whistleblower Case,

DOJ Announces $20 Million Settlement with Inchcape Shipping Services

Posted 05/30/18

Yesterday, the Department of Justice announced a $20 million settlement with Inchcape Shipping Services Holdings Limited and several of its subsidiaries to resolve allegations that Inchcape overcharged for services provided to the Navy for nearly a decade. The case was filed in 2010 by three former Inchcape employees under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. As a result of the settlement, the...

Tagged in: Defense Contract Fraud, Falsifying Invoices, FCA Federal, Government Procurement Fraud, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Rewards,

Pfizer Agrees to Pay $23.85 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Liability for Paying Kickbacks

Posted 05/24/18

The Department of Justice today announced that Pfizer agreed to pay $23.85 million to resolve allegations that it used a foundation as a conduit to pay the copays of Medicare patients taking three Pfizer drugs. Medicare Part B or D beneficiaries typically make a partial payment when obtaining prescription drugs in the form of a copay, coinsurance, or deductible. Under the Anti-Kickback Statute, pharmaceutical...

Tagged in: Anti-Kickback and Stark, FCA Federal, Healthcare Fraud, Pharma Fraud,

Question of the Week -- Should Congress Provide Financial Bounties to Antitrust Whistleblowers?

Posted 05/9/18

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team Cartels are being busted. More and more every year. But they are not going away. For every conspiracy the government cracks down on, we can be sure there are several more that carry on unnoticed and unscathed. A broad-based whistleblower program could be the most promising solution to fill this antitrust enforcement gap. But it has to include financial incentives to compensate...

Tagged in: FCA Federal, Financial and Investment Fraud, Importance of Whistleblowers, Question of the Week,

New York Urgent Care Clinic Pays Over $6.6M to Settle FCA Suit

Posted 05/7/18

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team CityMD, a company that manages over 80 urgent care clinics in and around New York City, has settled allegations that it billed Medicare for more expensive services than were actually performed, and that it billed Medicare under the names of doctors who did not actually perform the services. Under the terms of the settlement, CityMD also accepted responsibility for its...

Tagged in: FCA Federal, FCA State, Healthcare Fraud, Provider Fraud, Upcoding, Whistleblower Case,

MassTech and its CEO and CFO To Pay $1.9 Million To Settle False Claims Act Allegations

Posted 05/4/18

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team Columbia-based MassTech, Inc., its former Chief Executive Officer, Arnold Lee, and its former Chief Financial Officer, Richard Lee, have agreed to pay the United States $1.9 million to resolve allegations that MassTech falsely certified it was a small business in order to obtain Small Business Innovation Research (SIBR) awards. The settlement agreement was announced by United...

Tagged in: FCA Federal, Grant and Research Fraud, Set-Asides and Preferences,

Armstrong Case Shows Whistleblowers Are Key to Doping Fix: Constantine Cannon Lawyers Weigh In

Posted 04/25/18

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team Last week, cyclist Lance Armstrong agreed to pay the United States $5 million to settle False Claims Act allegations surrounding his doping scandal, in which he admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs while racing under a U.S. Postal Service sponsorship. The settlement resolved a lawsuit filed in 2010 by whistleblower Floyd Landis-who himself participated in the scheme as...

Tagged in: CC Lawyers, FCA Federal, Government Procurement Fraud, Importance of Whistleblowers, Whistleblower Rewards,

Blowing the Whistle on Tariff Dodgers

Posted 04/23/18

Faced with higher tariffs, some importers seek unlawful means to avoid those costs. As tariff evasion schemes multiply and become more valuable, whistleblowers can play a critical role in exposing these schemes, and can receive a financial reward for doing so. In an article titled Tariff Dodgers Stand to Profit Off U.S.-China Trade Dispute, the New York Times described the schemes that companies importing goods...

Tagged in: Customs Fraud, FCA Federal,

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Question of the Week -- Will New Tariffs Result in More Fraudulent Tariff Dodging?

Constantine Cannon Partner Eric Havian Will Be a Guest Speaker for the American Bar Association’s National Institute on the Civil False Claims Act and Qui Tam Enforcement

US Obtains $114M FCA Judgement in Kickbacks Case

DOJ Announces $20 Million Settlement with Inchcape Shipping Services

Pfizer Agrees to Pay $23.85 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Liability for Paying Kickbacks

Question of the Week -- Should Congress Provide Financial Bounties to Antitrust Whistleblowers?

New York Urgent Care Clinic Pays Over $6.6M to Settle FCA Suit

MassTech and its CEO and CFO To Pay $1.9 Million To Settle False Claims Act Allegations

Armstrong Case Shows Whistleblowers Are Key to Doping Fix: Constantine Cannon Lawyers Weigh In

Blowing the Whistle on Tariff Dodgers

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