Top 10

Top Ten Environmental Fraud Settlements for 2018

Our environment, natural resources, energy resources, and wildlife are subject to numerous laws and government programs that can give rise to fraudulent activity. Here is our look-back at the top 10 environmental fraud recoveries for 2018. Our 2016 and 2017 lists are also available on the Whistleblower Insider blog.

1. International Automated Systems and RaPower-3 – In October 2018, a federal court in Utah...

Top Ten SEC and CFTC Recoveries of 2018

The SEC and CFTC were busy in 2018. In addition to its robust FCPA enforcement, the SEC recovered hundreds of millions of dollars from companies accused of defrauding investors, breaching fiduciary duties, and violating SEC rules. The SEC also awarded its largest-ever whistleblower awards in 2018. Likewise, the CFTC spent the last year cracking down on market manipulators, rooting out commodities fraud, and halting...

Top Ten Tax Recoveries of 2018

Tax fraud and tax evasion can take many forms, but there is one constant: when entities and individuals pay less tax than they owe, they are cheating the system. Bringing cases against companies and individuals that cheat the system is central to the Internal Revenue Service's mission. Tax fraud may also give rise to a claim under the IRS Whistleblower Reward Program, which pays eligible whistleblowers 15 to 30% of...

Top Ten Healthcare Recoveries of 2018

Consistent with the trend in prior years, the bulk of the Justice Department’s fraud and false claims recoveries in 2018 stemmed from healthcare fraud matters. And again, most of the funds recovered arose from cases originated by whistleblowers under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Here are the top ten healthcare recoveries of 2018 by the numbers:

1. 1. Amerisource Bergen Corporation - In...

Top Ten Financial and Healthcare Fraud Prison Sentences of 2018

Financial and healthcare fraud schemes can result not just in civil investigations and liability, but also in prison time for the individuals involved.  In 2018, the Department of Justice obtained substantial prison sentences in numerous cases involving healthcare and financial frauds, helping to bring justice to the patients, investors, or individuals harmed by criminal fraudsters.  Many of the fraudulent schemes...

Top Ten FCPA Recoveries of 2018

2018 saw substantial monetary settlements for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), which is the leading U.S. law barring bribery of foreign officials by companies subject to its reach.  Violations of the FCPA are investigated by DOJ as well as by the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The SEC has long recognized the FCPA as a high enforcement priority, and whistleblowers with knowledge of...

Top-10 Whistleblower Successes for 2017

Here is our look-back at the top-10 whistleblower successes for 2017 based on the amount of the whistleblower award recovered or, if not known, the amount the government recovered prompted by the whistleblower's efforts in coming forward.  Click here for a chronological listing of all whistleblower recoveries for 2017.

1. Mylan -- Pharmaceutical manufacturer Sanofi-Aventis US will...

Top-10 False Claims Act Kickback Recoveries for 2017

Here is our look-back at the Top-10 Department of Justice False Claims Act recoveries in 2017 for violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute and/or the Stark Law.  Click here for a full chronological listing of all the DOJ False Claims Act recoveries in 2017.

1. Shire Pharmaceuticals LLC – The Ireland-based drug maker and certain subsidiaries agreed to pay $350 million to settle charges that Shire and the...

Top-10 DOJ Environmental Fraud Settlements for 2017

Here is our look-back at the top-10 Department of Justice environmental fraud settlements for 2017.  Click here for a full chronological listing of all DOJ fraud settlements for 2017.

1. Volkswagen AG -- The German auto maker agreed to plead guilty to three criminal felony counts and pay a $2.8 billion criminal penalty as a result of the company’s long-running scheme to...

Top-10 DOJ False Claims Act Recoveries for 2017

Here is our look-back at the Top-10 Department of Justice False Claims Act recoveries for 2017. Click here for a full chronological listing of all the DOJ False Claims Act recoveries.

1. Mylan Inc. -- The pharmaceutical company and its subsidiary Mylan Specialty L.P. agreed to pay $465 million to settle charges they violated the False Claims Act by purposely misclassifying...