Government Procurement Fraud

January 11, 2018

California announced a $102 million settlement with BP Energy Company and affiliates (BP) over allegations that it intentionally overcharged the State of California for natural gas that the State purchased under three successive contracts from March 2003 to August 2012. The contracts allowed the California Department of General Services, which buys natural gas for numerous state agencies and political subdivisions, to cap the price it would pay BP for specific volumes of gas. BP regularly quoted and charged the State of California prices that violated this cap and concealed its overpricing by providing false and misleading information. These acts constitute violations of the California False Claims Act. CA

November 14, 2017

Ohio-based Progressive Casualty Insurance Co. and New Jersey-based Progressive Garden State Insurance Co., part of the Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, one of the nation’s largest auto insurance providers, agreed to pay more than $2 million to resolve allegations they violated the False Claims Act by causing Medicare and Medicaid to pay for claims for which the companies were responsible. The allegations originated in a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. The whistleblower will receive an award of more than $600,000 from the proceeds of the government's recovery. DOJ (DNJ)

October 11, 2017

URS Corporation agreed to pay $900,000 to settle charges of violating the False Claims Act by improperly billing under a Joint Venture Project Management Oversight Agreement with Amtrak. DOJ (EDPA)

October 10, 2017

Sage Tee LLC, a subcontractor at the Department of Energy's Hanford Site, and its owner Laura Shikashio, agreed to pay $235,000 to settle charges they violated the False Claims Act in connection with improperly receiving two small business subcontracts at DOE's Hanford nuclear site.  The allegations originated in a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act.  The whistleblower will receive an award from the proceeds of the government's recovery. DOJ (EDWA)

October 3, 2017

New York-based contractors Zoladz Construction Company Inc., Arsenal Contracting LLC and Alliance Contracting LLC, along with two owners, John Zoladz and David Lyons, agreed to pay more than $3 million to settle allegations they violated the False Claims Act by improperly obtaining federal set-aside contracts designated for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.  The allegations originated in a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act.  The whistleblower will receive an award of $450,000 from the proceeds of the government's recovery. DOJ

September 28, 2017

Vermont-based contractor J.A. McDonald, Inc., and its owner and president Eric Boyden, agreed to pay $270,000 to resolve allegations that JAM violated the False Claims Act by causing the State of Vermont to present false claims for payment to the United States in connection with the federally-funded construction of a two-span bridge on Vermont Route 116 in Bristol, Vermont.  Specifically, the settlement resolves allegations that JAM employees intentionally altered critical bridge components such that the bridge no longer conformed to specified safety standards, and that JAM employees took affirmative steps to conceal the alterations from the Vermont Agency of Transportation. DOJ (DVT)