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Whistleblower News From The Inside — January 25, 2016

Posted  January 25, 2016

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America to Pay $1.6 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Claims for Federal Grants — The United States had alleged that Big Brothers commingled grant funds with general operating expenditures, failed to ensure that funds were being used as intended, and failed to maintain appropriate internal controls.  DOJ

Deficiencies Found at Theranos Lab — Sources claim that problems were found during an inspection for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, potentially putting Theranos lab at risk of suspension from Medicare.  WSJ

Fourteenth Settlement in Investigation Targeting Improper Billings to TRICARE — Medical Reimbursement Systems, Inc., which provides billing, coding, compliance and revenue cycle services to hospitals and physician practices, will pay $500,000 to resolve allegations that it submitted false claims to the TRICARE Program regarding a client’s eligibility to receive bonuses intended for providers who render care in qualifying Health Professional Shortage Areas.  DOJ NDNY

Proposed New Rule Cracks Down On Contractors Barring Whistleblowing — DoD, GSA, and NASA have proposed an amendment to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) that prohibits contractors from requiring employees or subcontractors to sign an internal confidentiality agreement that restricts such employees or subcontractors from lawfully reporting waste, fraud, or abuse to a designated Government representative authorized to receive such information.  Federal Register

FTC Mounts Antitrust Probe of Turing Pharmaceuticals — In declining to appear and answer questions at a congressional hearing scheduled for this week, the attorney for former Turing CEO Martin Shkreli cited the existence of an FTC investigation in to possible antitrust violations in connection with the company’s decision to hike the price of a the drug Daraprim by more than 5,000%.  NBC News

Virginia settles mortgage-backed securities cases against 11 banks for $63 million —  The settlement resolves allegations that the banks defrauded the state’s retirement system by misrepresenting the quality of residential mortgage-backed securities. According to Attorney General Herring, this is the largest non-healthcare-related recovery ever obtained under the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act. VA AG

U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security is strengthening sanctions enforcement  With increased funding, the agency is expected to prioritize export control. And it’s not only manufacturers who need to assure their compliance with US sanctions programs:  ING Bank paid $619 million after admitting to covering up money transfers that violated sanctions on Iran and Cuba.  WSJ