Whistleblower News From The Inside — April 8, 2016
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
Las Vegas Sands to pay $9M penalty for FCPA violations — The SEC announced that Las Vegas Sands Corp. has agreed to pay a $9 million penalty to settle charges that it violated the FCPA by failing to properly authorize or document millions of dollars in payments to a consultant facilitating business activities in China and Macao. Nasdaq
Abbott wins in $1B trial over marketing of stents — Abbott Laboratories didn’t cause medical providers to submit false payment claims to Medicare for unapproved stents, a Texas jury ruled, thwarting a whistleblower’s lawsuit seeking as much as $1 billion. Bloomberg
Nearly 20 years in prison for $100M tax-refund fraud leader — A man described by a Florida federal judge as the boss of a $100 million-plus “fraud factory” that used thousands of stolen identities to illegally obtain income tax refunds was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison. ABC
Brazil probing fraud at Olympic sailing bay sewage plants — Federal police are investigating Rio de Janeiro’s state-run utility Cedae for allegations of fraud at its sewage treatment plants around the Guanabara Bay that will feature sailing competitions in the Summer Olympics. Bloomberg
Petrofac launches investigation into bribery and corruption allegations — U.K. oil-services company Petrofac PLC said it launched an internal investigation into allegations of bribery and corruption after media outlets reported that Monaco-based Unaoil S.A.M. paid bribes on behalf of other firms, including Petrofac, to secure oil industry-related work around the world. WSJ