Whistleblower News From The Inside -- August 3, 2017

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team

US intervenes in FCA suit against City of Los Angeles —The suit alleges that the city fraudulently obtained millions in HUD grants by certifying that the money would be spent on housing for persons with disabilities, but instead the city used the money to create inaccessible housing which deprived people with disabilities an equal opportunity in finding affordable housing. The case was brought by two whistleblowers, an LA resident who uses a wheelchair, and the Fair Housing Council of San Fernando Valley, a civil rights advocacy group. DOJ

Massachusetts parking garage management company settles FCA suit for $5.6M — LAZ parking, a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) contractor, settled allegations that it failed to detect and deter theft of millions of MBTA revenue. The suit also alleged that LAZ accounting records were altered to reflect lower revenue, to cover up the fraud, and to justify lower payments to the MBTA. Massachusetts Attorney General

New Zealand winemaker accused of complex wine fraud — Southern Boundary Wines, and several of its employees, have been accused of mislabeling the vintage of wines, mislabeling the geographic origin of grapes, selling blended wines as estate grown, and destroying records to cover up the frauds. The issue was brought to light by a whistleblower. NZ Herald