The Motor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower Act (“MVSWA”) provides monetary rewards to individuals (also known as whistleblowers) who report information about automobile safety issues to the federal government. The MVSWA, which is similar to the False Claims Act and other whistleblower laws, was created to keep America’s highways...
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Category: Whistleblower Laws
Info tech company Practice Fusion pays $145 million to settle charges it set up electronic records system getting docs to prescribe opioids
A San Francisco-based health information technology company will pay $145 million to resolve criminal and civil charges that it helped set up an electronic health records system that encouraged physicians to prescribe opioids to patients who might not need them, federal prosecutors in Vermont said Monday.
Vermont U.S....
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U.S. Federal Agency issues notices of charges against five former senior execs of Wells Fargo
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today issued a notice of charges against five former senior executives of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and announced settlements with the bank’s former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and other members of the bank’s operating committee.
“The...
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Durable medical equipment maker Resmed to pay #37.5 million for paying kickbacks to DME suppliers, sleep labs and others
ResMed Corp., a manufacturer of durable medical equipment (DME) based in San Diego, California, has agreed to pay more than $37.5 million to resolve alleged False Claims Act violations for paying kickbacks to DME suppliers, sleep labs and other health care providers, the Department of...
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What Is the False Claims Act?
Private individuals can file a lawsuit for violations of the False Claims Act ("FCA") on behalf of the U.S. government. If successful, an individual who files a lawsuit under the FCA, also known as a whistleblower, is entitled to up to 30% of the proceeds while receiving protection...
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Fomer Countrywide Exec awarded $57.6 million in whistelblower case involving mortgage fraud. One of the largest awards ever
Edward O'Donnell, a former executive at mortgage lender Countrywide Financial, is set to collect a cool $57.6 million from Bank of America (BAC), for his role in exposing fraudulent activity at the firm. A federal grand jury ruled that Countrywide Financial, which is now owned by Bank of America, had defrauded government-backed...
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Answers to Common FCA Whistleblower Questions
The False Claims Act (“FCA”) is a federal law that imposes liability on those who defraud the federal government. The FCA is the federal government's primary legal method of combating fraud against the government. A person who files a lawsuit under the FCA, also known as...
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Caldwell University pays more than $4.8 Million to settle charges of defrauding vets and the VA education program
Caldwell University must pay the United States more than $4.8 million to resolve allegations that it engaged in a fraudulent scheme to defraud a federal education benefit program, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
“Caldwell University tried to hoodwink the Department of Veterans Affairs and, worse, veterans themselves, by claiming to offer online classes developed and...
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Securities and Exchange Commission investigating BMW for possible “punching” sales numbers to falsely inflate company value
The Securities and Exchange Commission investigating Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) for possible manipulation of sales figures, according to The Wall Street Journal. The SEC is specifically looking into whether BMW has been engaging in a practice known as sales punching in the U.S., which is when a company boosts sales figures...
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U.S. Government joins healthcare fraud suit against Omnicare and CVS for billing invalid prescriptions to elderly and disabled
[T]he United States has filed a civil healthcare fraud lawsuit against OMNICARE, INC., and its parent company, CVS HEALTH CORPORATION. The Government’s Complaint seeks damages and civil penalties under the False Claims Act for fraudulently billing federal healthcare programs for hundreds of thousands of non-controlled prescription drugs dispensed based on stale, invalid...
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