Verizon and AT&T Agree to Pay $127 Million to Settle California and Nevada Whistleblower Cases, Bringing Total Recoveries to $138.7 Million

SAN FRANCISCO, September 24, 2020 – Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility, the nation’s largest wireless providers, have agreed to pay a combined $127 million to settle whistleblower lawsuits claiming they overcharged California and Nevada government customers for wireless services.  The settlements in the long-running cases, brought by the whistleblower in 2012, and approved today by a California court, represent the second-largest California False Claims Act settlement in the state’s history...

CFTC Sets Sights on Binary Options Fraud

The CFTC continues its hot streak, aggressively pursuing fraudsters and rewarding whistleblowers who come forward with valuable information.  One particular enforcement trend stands out: a number of high-profile settlements related to illegal binary options trading platforms. Binary options are the OTB of the stock market—a method of gambling whether particular stocks will go up or down without actually purchasing the underlying stock.  Because of their inherent riskiness and liability for...

This Week in Whistleblower History: The First Whistleblower Protection Law

This week marks the eighth year in a row that Congress has designated July 30th National Whistleblower Day, honoring the occasion, on July 30, 1778, when the Continental Congress unanimously enacted the first whistleblower protection law in the United States.  The celebration this year is particularly poignant in light of the recent mistreatment of government whistleblowers, notably Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman. The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1778 The first whistleblower...

Auto Parts Distributor Centric Parts Settles Customs Fraud Whistleblower Lawsuits for $8 Million

Constantine Cannon is pleased to announce an $8 million settlement on behalf of its whistleblower client in a False Claims Act lawsuit against CWD, LLC. The Carson, CA-based company, which does business as Centric Parts, is one of the largest aftermarket brake and chassis parts distributors in North America. The qui tam suit alleges that Centric misclassified brake pads imported from Asia to avoid tariffs, and concealed the decade-long misconduct...

What Potential Whistleblowers Need to Know About the Dodd-Frank Act

Topics Covered Here: History of the Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Program Understanding the Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Provisions The Differences Between Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Cases and False Claims Act Cases Types of Fraud Private Right of Action Where Are Complaints Filed? Multiple Whistleblowers Public Information Anonymous Reporting and Confidentiality Protections from Retaliation Contact Us   History of the Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Program This month (July 2020) marks the tenth anniversary of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform...

Visiting Nurse Service of New York Settles Whistleblower Case Brought by Constantine Cannon Client for $57 Million

Constantine Cannon is pleased to announce a $57 million settlement of the False Claims Act lawsuit its whistleblower client brought against the Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY).  VNSNY is the largest not-for-profit home health care agency in the country, serving roughly 150,000 patients a year in New York, most of whom are elderly and/or disabled. The whistleblower, Edward Lacey, was an executive at VNSNY for 16 years.  Mr. Lacey...

Constantine Cannon Announces $57 Million Whistleblower Settlement with the Largest Not-For-Profit Home Health Care Agency in the United States

The Visiting Nurse Service of New York settles False Claim Act lawsuit alleging it failed to provide home health care visits and services to tens of thousands of New Yorkers and fraudulently billed Medicare and Medicaid. Constantine Cannon is pleased to announce a $57 million settlement of the False Claims Act lawsuit its whistleblower client brought against the Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY).  VNSNY is the largest not-for-profit...

Work-From-Home Brings Increase in SEC Whistleblower Tips, Demonstrating Need for Whistleblower Protection and Support

This month, the Wall Street Journal reported that the SEC has been receiving a “surge” in whistleblower reports under the SEC Whistleblower Program. The article, Tips to SEC Surge as Working From Home Emboldens Whistleblowers, states that the SEC received approximately 4,000 tips between mid-March and mid-May – in the heart of the pandemic – which represented a 35% increase over the equivalent period in 2019. One possible reason for...

SEC Starts 2020 with Almost $12 million in Whistleblower Awards

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the SEC whistleblower program is very much open for business: the SEC has announced seven whistleblower awards in the past four months, including an award of over $7 million to a “tenacious” whistleblower who provided extensive and sustained assistance in connection with serious financial abuses despite suffering hardship. Under the program, whistleblowers – regardless of their citizenship or residency – who provide information about possible violations...

The COVID-19 Crisis, Whistleblowers, and the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team

As Constantine Cannon announced earlier this week, in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, we have implemented contingency plans to work remotely.  While our work locations have changed, we remain dedicated to our whistleblower clients, and our team continues to provide whistleblowers with support and legal guidance. With offices in New York, D.C., San Francisco, and London, the Constantine Cannon whistleblower team sees events unfolding up close and around the...