Have a Claim?

Click here for a confidential contact or call:

1-212-350-2774
								
			


								
						
			


								
			

Whistleblower Quiz

Would you blow the whistle?

Take our Quiz

State Enforcement Actions

Each state enforces its laws and defends its interests, and states often work with the federal government in investigating and prosecuting corporate frauds.  Whistleblowers with knowledge of fraud or wrongful conduct that involves state or local funds or programs may be able to bring a claim under a state or local False Claims Act, and may be eligible to receive a monetary reward and protection against retaliation.

Below are summaries of recent settlements, successful prosecutions, and enforcement actions by states. If you believe you have information about fraud which could give rise to a claim under a State or Local False Claims Act or other whistleblower reward provision, please contact us to speak with one of our experienced whistleblower attorneys.

July 26, 2022

Wawa, Inc. agreed to an $8 million settlement for a 2019 data breach which occurred due to Wawa’s failure to deploy reasonable information security measures. Hackers accessed Wawa’s network and extracted sensitive customer information, impacting stores in 6 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to the payment, Wawa is required to implement new security practices to secure customers’ sensitive personal information, including providing resources necessary to implement their security program and providing security awareness and privacy training. FL AG, VA AG, NJ OAG

July 22, 2022

Vanderpoel family members Neal J. II, Eileen, Ryan, and Neal J. IV will pay $1.88 million in penalties, disgorge their ill-gotten gains, and are barred from performing any loan modification, debt adjustment, or mortgage compliance in New Jersey because of their predatory mortgage adjustment services targeting distressed homeowners. The family violated New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act and the Debt Adjustment Act, selling worthless loan modification and other adjustment services to borrowers, and charged excessive upfront fees. The entities used in furtherance of the fraud—Financial Services of America, Financial Processing Services, LLC, Tri-State Financial Relief, LLC, and Mortgage Help and Loan Audits of America, LLC—were also shut down. NJ OAG

June 23, 2022

Carnival Cruise Line has agreed to pay $1.25 million to 46 states following a data breach that revealed the personal information of approximately 180,000 employees and customers.  The company revealed in March 2020 that an unauthorized actor had gained access to the data, but it first became aware of suspicious activity nearly a full year before it reported the breach.  As part of the settlement, Carnival will be required to implement higher email security practices, implement and maintain a breach response and notification plan, and submit to an independent security assessment.  GA AG; NC AG; NY AG

June 13, 2022

Centene Corporation has agreed to pay $13.7 million to the State of New Mexico, after an investigation by the Attorney General’s Office found the company layered fees and failed to pass discounts onto the state’s Medicaid program, in violation of Medicaid rules and the New Mexico Medicaid False Claims Act.  NM AG

June 10, 2022

A doctor who allegedly submitted claims to Medicare and Medi-Cal for unperformed procedures, services, and tests, in violation of the California and federal False Claims Acts, has agreed to pay $9.5 million to resolve a civil suit.  The qui tam case by Minas Kochumian’s former medical assistant Elize Oganesyan, and former IT consultant Damon Davies, alleged that claims for treatment of osteopathic issues that were submitted over a six year period were false.  The settlement includes $5.5 million that Kochumian already paid as criminal restitution in a separate case in the Central District.  As part of the civil settlement, Oganesyan and Davies will share a $1.75 million award.  CA AG; USAO EDCA

June 8, 2022

Real estate developer Baldwin & Sons was fined $6.6 million based on its failures to control erosion and runoff, or contain fluids leaking from equipment, at a luxury home construction site in Orange County, and its failure to implement required best management practices.  The state also found that Baldwin ignored numerous corrective and cease-and-desist orders.  CA

June 8, 2022

Pharmaceutical manufacturer Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL) has agreed to pay $12.9 million to the State of Texas to resolve allegations of violating the Texas Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act.  DRL had allegedly reported inflated drug prices to the Texas Medicaid program in order to receive higher reimbursements.  TX AG

June 1, 2022

Behavioral health provider Healthkeeperz, Inc. has agreed to pay $2.1 million to resolve allegations that it falsely billed North Carolina’s Medicaid program for services that were not covered.  The allegations arose from a lawsuit filed by Ginger Hill under the qui tam provisions of the federal False Claims Act and the North Carolina False Claims Act.  USAO WD NC; NC

May 19, 2022

Retailer H&M will pay $36 million to New York State to resolve claims that the company violated a New York law which requires gift card issuers to turn over unused balances on gift cards to the state’s Abandoned Property Fund after five years of inactivity.  The retailer repeatedly lied to the state about its failure to transfer the unused gift card balances as required, and falsely told the state that an out-of-state company was handling its gift cards business. A whistleblower who filed a lawsuit under the New York False Claims Act will receive $7.74 million for bringing H&M’s misconduct to light.  NY

May 9, 2022

Prism Behavioral Solutions has agreed to pay $650,000 to resolve allegations of violating the federal and California False Claims Acts by billing California’s Medicaid program for services not provided to autistic children and young adults.  The whistleblower in this case, Diana Mason, is a behavioral analyst employed by Prism, and will receive a $170,000 share of the settlement.  USAO SDCA; CA AG
1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 77

Learn about Whistleblower Rewards Programs