Trump Nominates Paul Atkins to Lead SEC -- What Will It Mean for Whistleblowers?
Posted 12/9/24
On Wednesday (December 4), President-elect Donald Trump nominated Paul Atkins to take over the helm of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) when Gary Gensler steps down in January. Trump posted the announcement on his Truth Social platform where he hailed the incoming SEC Chief as "a proven leader for common sense regulations," who "believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are...
What a sham(e)! Two Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Cryptocurrency Ponzi Scheme “IcomTech”
Posted 12/9/24
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, announced that defendants David Brend (50, of Tampa, Florida) and Gustavo Rodriguez (48, of North Hollywood, California) were sentenced to prison for 10 years and 8 years, respectively, for their involvement in a cryptocurrencyPonzi scheme named IcomTech. The sentences were given by the Honorable Jennifer L. Rochon after a two-week trial...
Power to the People: Top 10 Lyrics Channeling John Lennon’s Whistleblower Spirit
Posted 12/4/24
John Lennon, like so many of our music icons, was as much about the message as the music. In addition to his mellifluous melodies, Lennon was known for his outspoken political activism and unbridled willingness to challenge societal norms. He often used his music as a platform to express his beliefs, protest, seek truths, and advocate for peace and social justice.
As a solo artist outside of The Beatles, many of...
SEC Issues Annual Whistleblower Report Showing Continued Strength of Whistleblower Program
Posted 12/4/24
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently issued its Annual Report to Congress detailing the results of the SEC Whistleblower Program over the past fiscal year. Under the SEC’s program, individuals who provide information to the agency concerning potential securities violations that leads to a successful enforcement action may receive up to 30% of any government recovery.
Here are the highlights of...
Predatory Pharmacies Targeted Low-Income HIV Patients: Former Owner of New York Pharmacies Sentenced for Ongoing $11 Million Medicaid Fraud Scheme
Posted 12/4/24
On November 20, 2024, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that former pharmacy owner Aftab Hussain was sentenced to two to six years in prison for swindling over $11.5 million in a Medicaid fraud scheme that targeted low-income HIV patients who required life-saving medications.
Hussain and his co-conspirators paid illegal kickbacks to patients to entice them as repeat customers at over 20...
Gen Digital Pays $55.1M False Claims Act Judgment for Intentional Overcharges to General Services Administration After Government Wins at Trial
Posted 12/4/24
Gen Digital Inc. (formerly Symantec Corp.) knowingly overcharged the General Services Administration. Now the company is required to pay a hefty judgment after a decade of False Claims Act litigation.
Located in Tempe, Arizona, Gen Digital Inc. will pay $55.1 million. The company is required to shell out $16.1 million in damages and $36.8 million in civil penalties, in addition to post-judgment interest and...
SEC Announces Settled Charges Against Pharma Company and Executives for Misleading Investors about FDA Clinical Review of Drugs
Posted 12/3/24
The SEC continues to go after pharmaceutical companies for securities law violations in connection with misleading investors. The most recent example is the SEC’s settled charges against a publicly traded biotherapeutics company called Kiromic BioPharma, Inc. (KRBP), the company’s former CEO, and its former chief financial officer.
In this case, Kiromic was working on developing two cancer fighting drugs...
Do Not Mess with the IRS Whistleblower Program! An American Cautionary Tale Featuring a PRC Scheme to Topple Falun Gong
Posted 11/27/24
When foreign agents attempt to exploit and bribe their way through the U.S. whistleblower programs, the consequences are severe. On November 19, 2024, John Chen, 71, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for acting as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) and attempting to manipulate the IRS Whistleblower Program to advance the Chinese government’s transnational repression campaign...
Deception Tied with a Bow: Dell and Iron Bow Settle for $4.3M Over False Claims Act Allegations in Army Bidding Scheme
Posted 11/26/24
Dell Technologies, Inc. and Dell Federal Systems L.P. (“Dell”), based in Austin, Texas, have agreed to pay $2.3 million to settle allegations of violating the False Claims Act. The allegations stem from claims that Dell submitted, and caused the submission of, non-competitive bids to the U.S. Army, resulting in overcharges under the Army Desktop and Mobile Computing 3 (ADMC-3) contract. In addition, Iron Bow...
U.S. Forest Service Archaeologist Whistleblower Highlights Destruction of Native American Tribal Sites in North Carolina
Posted 11/26/24
U.S. Forest Service archaeologist Scott Ashcraft knew western North Carolina’s woods contained critical information about human history in the Appalachian Mountains. For years, Ashcraft’s attempts to alert forest managers were ignored. Ashcraft believed outdated modeling overlooked artifacts buried on steep terrains, including significant areas for Native American tribes.
Based on this theory, Ashcraft wanted...