Fraud and False Claims by Government Contractor in Dallas Leads to $2.6 Million Settlement with Justice Department
The statute most used by whistleblowers and whistleblower attorneys has resulted in yet another recovery of money for false claims. The Justice Department has announced that Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. (ACS) has agreed to pay more than $2.6 million to settle a False Claims Act case.
The government alleged that ACS, from 2002-2005, inflated its claims for payment of government funds for recruiting and enrolling individuals in various government programs funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and the Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (ACF).
According to the government, ACS “self-reported” its violations of the False Claims Act to the government. Based on our experience as federal prosecutors before we began representing whistleblowers, this type of perceived “cooperation” by a defendant sometimes can reduce what it ultimately pays.
A company that discloses its wrongdoing and offers to pay back funds that it wrongfully obtained is to be commended. Of course, most wrongdoers do not–and this is why whistleblowers perform such a valuable service in bringing corruption to light.