ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Falsified PPP Loan Applications
Small Business Administration Targets Ineligible Recipients
PPP Small Business Loan Fraud
Under the False Claims Act (FCA), 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 et seq., the federal government rewards whistleblowers who present credible information of false claims under government programs (like Medicare and Medicaid) or false applications for loans and grants under government agencies such as the Small Business Administration. In recent months there have been numerous FCA actions for fraudulent Payroll Protection Program applications in particular. The California whistleblower attorneys at Evans Law Firm, Inc. can represent whistleblowers in FCA cases against government contractors, and others who falsify information to receive government aid or businesses that bill the government for services never provided or unnecessary, especially in the healthcare industry. If you have credible information for a false claims whistleblower case or any other whistleblower case in California, call us today at (415)441-8669 and we can help.
In one recent case* announced by the Small Business Administration, a military equipment supplier has been accused of allegedly misrepresenting its size in order to qualify for small business loans worth at least $2 million, according to the authorities. In late April, the Treasury Department retroactively clarified its rules after other big businesses such as restaurant chains, car dealerships and hotel companies reported receiving PPP loans.. One SBA official noted, “It’s important that taxpayer funding reserved for genuine small businesses isn’t siphoned off by companies that are not eligible.”
Protection for Whistleblowers
Employees and other insiders with credible information of false claims against the government may be eligible for rewards if the government recovers funds based on the information supplied. 31 U.S.C. § 3730(d). Federal law protects insiders/employees against retaliation from employers for blowing the whistle on fraud. 31 U.S.C. § 3730(h)(1). If you are fired because you brought any fraud to light, you can fight back. You may be entitled to sue your employer in federal court and seek double back pay (with interest), reinstatement, reasonable attorneys’ fees, and reimbursement for certain costs in connection with the litigation. 31 U.S.C. § 3730(h)(2). Our California whistleblower attorneys can represent you in any action for retaliation as well as represent you in your underlying whistleblower application.
Contact Us
Ingrid M. Evans and our other whistleblower attorneys handle all types of whistleblower cases in addition to false claims cases, including cases for bank fraud under FIRREA/FIAFEA, commodity trading and securities fraud under the Commodities Futures Trading Commission Whistleblower Program and the Securities and Exchange Commission Whistleblower Program, and tax fraud under the Internal Revenue Service Whistleblower Program. If you have information regarding false claims, offshore tax avoidance schemes against the IRS, or securities and commodity trading fraud in violation of SEC and CFTC regulations, contact Ingrid M. Evans and the other California whistleblower and false claims attorneys at Evans Law Firm at (415) 441-8669, or by email at <a href=”mailto:info@evanslaw.com”>info@evanslaw.com</a>. Our attorneys have experience with complex financial contracts and large insurance companies. We can help guide your case through a jury trial or toward an equitable settlement. We also handle cases involving physical and financial elder abuse, nursing home abuse, whole life insurance and universal life insurance, and indexed, variable, and fixed annuities.
*Evans Law Firm, Inc. was not involved in the case in any way.
