Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Heirs of Deceased Whistleblower Reap Benefits of Original Qui Tam Suit

The heirs of a deceased whistleblower will receive the payment due after the $45.5 million settlement of a False Claims Act case against Chevron Corp.

The Justice Department announced that Chevron Corp. will pay to resolve allegations that it underpaid natural gas royalties to the government and Native Americans. After the payment is split between federal, state and American Indian accounts, more than $12.3 million of the amount will go to the heirs of the whistleblower.

Click here to read the full article, “Chevron agrees to $45 million royalty settlement"

Monday, December 21, 2009

U.S. Gov. and New York State Receive $24 Million from Home Health Care Programs for False Claims

The Department of Justice has reached settlement agreements with three home health agencies for $9.7 million to resolve allegations of false claims to the New York Medicaid and Medicare programs.

One company, Nursing Personnel Home Care, allegedly supplied aides with phony training certificates to two other home care agencies and then billed Medicaid for the aides’ services. The two additional home care companies, Extended Home Care and Excellent Home Care, allegedly further billed Medicare for services that health aides did not actually provide.

The settlement resulted from lawsuits initiated by two whistleblowers, who will receive $251,107 and $1,663,040 from the government’s recovery.

The State of New York will also receive approximately $14.3 million, for a total recovery of $24 million.

Click here to read the full article, “Three New York City Home Health Agencies Pay $9.7 Million to the United States to Settle False Claims Act Claims"

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

For-Profit University to Pay $78.5 Million in False Claims Act Suit

The nation’s largest for-profit university, The University of Phoenix, agreed to a $78.5 million settlement based on two whistleblowers’ False Claims Act lawsuit.

The suit alleges the University defrauded the U.S. Department of Education by obtaining federal student loan and Pell Grant funds based on false statements.

The University previously paid $9.8 million to the Department of Education in 2004 to resolve administrative claims that it was paying improper incentive compensation to its recruiters.

The settlement includes an $11 million payment to the two whistleblower plaintiffs for attorney fees.

Click here to read the full article “$78.5 Million Settlement In Whistleblower Lawsuit Against University of Phoenix"

Monday, December 07, 2009

Whistleblower Receives $4.5 Million for Helping FBI in Case Against MPC

A whistleblower involved in a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) case against MPC Products Corporation to uncover a decade long scheme of over-billing the federal government will receive $4.5 million for his part in the investigation.

The whistleblower is a former pricing analyst for MPC, a Skokie, Illinois defense contractor. After being fired, allegedly for refusing to comply with the fraudulent billing scheme, he was rehired in 2001 and began covertly gathering information for the FBI, at times wearing a wire to record conversations.  MPC will pay an additional $252,320 for his expenses and legal fees.

Click here to read the article “Whistleblower to Receive $4.5 Million"

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