Whistleblower and Qui Tam Cases
International Vitamin Corporation – $22.865 Million Settlement
Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight and the U.S. Government settled a whistleblower action under the False Claims Act (“FCA”) with International Vitamin Corporation (“IVC”), a leading importer of dietary supplements, in January 2023. As part of the settlement, IVC agreed to pay the government $22.865 million. The relator, who is represented by Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, will receive 20% of the settlement—over $4.5 million. The case alleged that IVC systematically skirted customs duties on thousands of imports of nutritional supplements from China between January 1, 2015 and September 13, 2019 by fraudulently reporting incorrect tariff classifications and duty rates on the imports. The Complaint also alleged that IVC knew that it had evaded more than $10 million in duties but failed to inform the Government and pay the duties as required under applicable law.
Read more
Invitation Homes – $19.9 Million Settlement
In October 2024, Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight and co-counsel Leonard Simon settled a California False Claims Act matter against Invitation Homes, the largest single-family corporate landlord in America. Invitation Homes agreed to a $19.9 million settlement to resolve claims brought by our whistleblower client on behalf of 35 cities across California. Our client received roughly 20 percent of the settlement, or $4.6 million.
Read more
Navistar False Claims Act Lawsuit–$50 Million Settlement
In 2013, Duquoin Burgess, a former contract director at Navistar, filed the Complaint against Navistar Defense and Navistar International for violations of the False Claims Act. Seven years later, Navistar agreed to pay $50 million to resolve the FCA allegations.
Read more
Customs Fraud Action Against The Sporn Company
The Complaint alleges that, between 2016 and 2020, The Sporn Company and its wholly owned subsidiary Bixler’s Jewelers manufactured in excess of $16 million worth of jewelry at plants in Montreal, Canada, and then imported the goods into the U.S. without marking them with their country of origin, without informing the government that they owed 10% marking duty on these unmarked products, and without paying the millions of dollars in customs duties they owed.
Read more
THD America Inc. False Claims Act Lawsuit and California Insurance Frauds Prevention Act-$1 Million
In September 2024, Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight and the U.S. Government settled a whistleblower action against Massachusetts-based medical device manufacturer THD America and its corporate parent, THD SpA of Italy (collectively, “THD”). The Complaint alleges that THD defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, and California private insurance payers by knowingly encouraging physicians to miscode use of its device in colorectal procedures in order to secure reimbursements.
Read more
Temple St. Clair Whistleblower Action – $796,000 Settlement
Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight today announced that luxury jeweler Temple St. Clair has agreed to pay the United States Government $796,000 to settle claims brought by a whistleblower under the False Claims Act. The suit was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in 2015. The case is thought to be the first in New York to recover money for the United States government based on the defendant’s failure to properly mark its products with their country of origin.
Read more
CDM Smith INC/CDM Federal Programs Corporation False Claims Act Lawsuit $5.65 Million Settlement
WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2020 — Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight announced that CDM Smith, Inc., a construction and engineering company, and its wholly owned subsidiary CDM Federal Programs Corporation, which serves government agencies, have agreed to pay $5.65 million to the United States to settle False Claims Act and contractual claims.
Read more
Humana Roche False Claims Act Action
In 2014, Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight filed a whistleblower action on behalf of the Relator, a former employee of Roche Diagnostics, alleging that the company violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the Medicare Advantage program, and that when the whistleblower reported this fraudulent activity to corporate management she was terminated in retaliation.
Read more
Fortinet Qui Tam Settlement
In April 2019, Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight and the U.S. Government settled a whistleblower case brought under the False Claims Act (“FCA”) with Fortinet, a publicly held network security company headquartered in Sunnyvale, Ca. As part of the settlement, Fortinet agreed to pay the Government $545,000. The Relator, represented by Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, received $103,550, or 19% of the total settlement.
Read more
Nagan Construction Whistleblower Lawsuit
Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight announced that New York-based construction company Nagan Construction, Inc. and Nadir Uygan reached a settlement in a qui tam suit. Per the settlement agreement, Nagan Construction, Inc. and Mr. Uygan will pay $831,000 to the United States and New York state, though the claims brought against Mr. Uygan are limited to the State of New York
Read more
Bon Secours Whistleblower Action
United States of America et al. v. Bon Secours New York Health System, Inc., et al.
The original complaint in this matter (SDNY Case 1:10-cv-09650) was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on December 29, 2010, and unsealed by an Order of the Court on April 21, 2015. Relator asserts that between December 2004 until 2015, Bon Secours Health System, Inc., Bon Secours New York Health System and Schervier Long Term Home Health Care Program defrauded Medicaid and Medicare by filing millions of dollars in false claims for home health services provided to elderly and homebound patients. Poughkeepsie resident June Raffington, a licensed nurse in New York since 1986, is the relator in this qui tam matter.
Read more
The original complaint in this matter (SDNY Case 1:10-cv-09650) was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on December 29, 2010, and unsealed by an Order of the Court on April 21, 2015. Relator asserts that between December 2004 until 2015, Bon Secours Health System, Inc., Bon Secours New York Health System and Schervier Long Term Home Health Care Program defrauded Medicaid and Medicare by filing millions of dollars in false claims for home health services provided to elderly and homebound patients. Poughkeepsie resident June Raffington, a licensed nurse in New York since 1986, is the relator in this qui tam matter.
Atricure Whistleblower Fraud Matter
Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight brought a whistleblower/qui tam matter against AtriCure Inc., (“AtriCure”), a medical device manufacturer. Subsequently, AtriCure agreed to pay $4.15 million to resolve all claims against it. The Complaint charged that AtriCure violated the Federal False Claims Act by using illegal kickbacks and an off-label marketing campaign to induce doctors and hospitals to perform AtriCure’s costly inpatient cardiac surgical ablation procedures rather than standard, and more effective outpatient catheter ablation procedures. As a result, the Medicare program faced substantially increased costs from AtriCure’s unnecessary and expensive procedures.
Read more
Oce North America Whistleblower Action–$1.2 Million Settlement
In September 2009, Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight and the U.S. Government settled a whistleblower action under the False Claims Act (“FCA”) with Oce North America, Oce Imagistics, and Oce USA Holdings, Inc. (“Oce”), wholly owned subsidiaries of Oce, N.V. of the Netherlands.
Read more
Scripps Health System Whistleblower Lawsuit–$1.5 Million Settlement
On March 24, 2016, Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight filed a whistleblower action under the False Claims Act on behalf of the U.S. Government and the Relator, a former Director of Business Operations at San Diego’s Scripps Health System.
Read more
Pathway Genomics Corporation Qui Tam Action – $4.1 Million Settlement
In December 2015, Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight and the U.S. Government settled a whistleblower action under the False Claims Act (“FCA”) and the Anti-Kickback Statute with San Diego-based genetic testing giant Pathway Genomics Corporation (“Pathway”).
Read more
Omnicare Whistleblower Lawsuit–$124 Million Settlement
In October 2013, Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, Relator’s co-counsel, and the United States Government settled a whistleblower action under the False Claims Act (“FCA”) with Omnicare, Inc., the nation’s largest provider of pharmacy services to nursing home patients. As part of the settlement, Omnicare agreed to pay the Government $124.24 million. The Relator, represented by Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight and its co-counsel, received approximately 17% of the settlement, or $17.24 million.
Read more
Nargol et al. v. DePuy Orthopaedics Inc. et al.
Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight brought whistleblower claims on behalf of Dr. Antoni Nargol and Dr. David Langton, two physicians and researchers who were first to uncover that medical-device company DePuy Orthopaedics manufactured and sold large numbers of defective hip implants to the government. Based on their experience and their clinical practice, the physicians ascertained that DePuy’s Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip implants were failing at an unreasonably high rate. Further research revealed that DePuy’s manufacturing processes were producing metal liners (the prosthetic replacement for a hip socket) that did not meet FDA-required specifications 50.41% of the time, and that the metal head (the prosthetic replacement for the ball at the top of the leg) did not meet FDA-required specifications 14.93% of the time. The physicians also determined that DePuy was likewise manufacturing two metal parts within the metal head out of specification.
Read more
New York City Department Of Education–$1.375 Million Settlement
In January 2014, Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight and the U.S. Government settled a False Claims Act (“FCA”) whistleblower action with the City of New York’s Department of Education (“DOE”). As part of the settlement, the City agreed to pay the Government $1.375 million. The Relator, Dana Ohlmeyer, who was represented by Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, received 15% of the settlement, or $206,250.
Read more
Smith and Nephew Qui Tam Lawsuit–$11.3 Million Settlement
In September 2014, Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight and the U.S. Government settled a whistleblower action under the Trade Agreements Act (“TAA”) and the False Claims Act (“FCA”) with Smith and Nephew, Inc., one of the world’s largest medical device manufacturers.
Read more
Meridian Surgical Partners False Claims Act Action–$5.1 Million Settlement
In September 2014, Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight and the U.S. Government settled a whistleblower action under the False Claims Act (“FCA”) and the Anti-Kickback Statute with Meridian Surgical Partners, LLC (“Meridian”), a Tennessee-based health care company that acquires and manages ambulatory surgical centers (“ASCs”).
Read more
United States ex rel. Sherwin v. Office Depot (Los Angeles County Superior Court) – $68 Million Settlement
The whistleblower, represented by Altomease Kennedy and California co-counsels, alleged that Office Depot violated the California False Claims Act by overcharging numerous governmental entities, including the city and county of Los Angeles, for office and classroom supplies, and failing to offer them the company’s “best price.” The city of Los Angeles received the largest settlement allocation of more than $11 million.
Read more
United States ex rel. Cox Et Al v. Medtronic (D. Minn.) – $23.5 Million Settlement
Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight won a more than $4.4 million qui tam settlement against Medtronic, Inc., one of the world’s largest medical device manufacturers. The whistleblower, represented by the firm and the U.S. Department of Justice, alleged that Medtronic violated the Trade Agreements Act (“TAA”) and the False Claims Act by selling products to the Government that were manufactured in countries with which the United States is not a trading partner, under contracts governed by the TAA.
Read more
Aurora Signature Whistleblower Suit
Organizations: Aurora Behavioral Healthcare – Santa Rosa, LLC and Signature Healthcare Services, LLC
After more than three years of litigation, attorneys at Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight and Valerian Law announced they reached a landmark Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) settlement on behalf of a former nursing leader at a North Bay acute psychiatric hospital.
Read more
After more than three years of litigation, attorneys at Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight and Valerian Law announced they reached a landmark Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) settlement on behalf of a former nursing leader at a North Bay acute psychiatric hospital.
Qui Tam Fraud Action Against Medtronic
In December 2011, Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight and the U.S. Government settled two whistleblower actions brought under the False Claims Act (“FCA”) with Medtronic, Inc., one of the world’s largest medical device manufacturers. As part of the settlement, Medtronic agreed to pay the government $23.5 million. Three relators received approximately 17% of the settlement, or $3.8 million, and a fourth relator received $160,160. Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight represented two of the relators in the Minnesota matter.
Read more