• AML
  • Qui Tam
  • SEC
  • CFTC
  • FCPA
  • FAQS
Demand Protections for Artificial Intelligence Whistleblowers | Take Action!
Subscribe
Donate
Get Help
No Result
View All Result
Whistleblower Network News
The Truth at Any Cost.
Qui Tam, Compliance and Anti-Corruption News.
Whistleblower Network News
No Result
View All Result
Home False Claims-Qui Tam

Four Agricultural Companies and Owner To Pay $600,000 to Settle FCA Violation Allegations

Ana PopovichbyAna Popovich
January 12, 2023
in False Claims-Qui Tam
Reading Time: 2 mins read
Rows of crops against a blue sky
Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInEmail

On January 9, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that four agricultural companies and their owner will pay $600,000 to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act in Paycheck Protection Loan-related (PPP) issues.

The qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act enable private citizens to file lawsuits on behalf of the government if they know of an individual or company defrauding the government. Qui tam whistleblowers are eligible to receive between 15 and 30% of the government’s recovery, if one occurs.

The PPP was established with the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to aid small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participating lenders processed PPP loan applications and funded approved loans, “which was fully guaranteed by the [Small Business Administration (SBA)].”

Register for National Whistleblower Day Register for National Whistleblower Day Register for National Whistleblower Day

According to the press release, Mendota Land Co., Sweetwood Farm Co. LLC, Sweetwood Farm Inc., Seaholtz Co. LLC, and their owner John Seasholtz (collectively referred to as “Seasholtz”) “are alleged to have improperly inflated the employee headcount on the companies’ PPP loan applications by impermissibly including non-employee contract workers who were, in fact, employed by other, unrelated entities.” This means that Seasholtz allegedly included individuals who were not employees on their PPP loan applications and in turn received “approximately $1.8 million in excess PPP loans.”

The DOJ states: “Seasholtz previously repaid the excess PPP loan funds to the lender, thereby relieving the U.S. Small Business Administration of liability for approximately $1.8 million in loan guarantees. As a part of the settlement announced today, Seasholtz agreed to pay approximately $400,000 in damages and penalties under the FCA and approximately $200,000 in civil penalties under [the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act].”

A whistleblower filed a qui tam lawsuit in this case, and the press release says the suit was filed by Bell Hill LLC. “There has been no determination regarding the amount of the recovery to be paid to Bell Hill LLC,” the DOJ reports.

“PPP loans were intended to provide critical relief to small businesses,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the DOJ’s Civil Division, in the release. “The department is committed to pursuing those who knowingly obtained PPP or other COVID-19 assistance funds to which they were not entitled.”

Read the DOJ press release here. 

Read more False Claims Act/qui tam news on WNN here.

Tags: False Claims / Qui TamFalse Claims ActFalse Claims/Qui TamQui Tamqui tam whistleblowers
Previous Post

“It was death by a thousand cuts.” — WNN Exclusive Interview with Law Enforcement Whistleblower Greg Dillon

Next Post

CFTC Whistleblower Program Issues First Award Determinations of FY 2023

Ana Popovich

Ana Popovich

Ana Popovich is a contributing editor with Whistleblower Network News, where she writes about breaking whistleblower news, healthcare fraud whistleblowers, and Covid-19 fraud whistleblowers. Ana has a B.A. in English from Georgetown University. While at Georgetown, she was the marketing chair of an affinity group and wrote content for the McDonough School of Business’ Business for Impact program. In 2018, Popovich was a public interest legal intern at the whistleblower law firm Kohn, Kohn and Colapinto. 

Next Post
CFTC Awards

CFTC Whistleblower Program Issues First Award Determinations of FY 2023

Receive Daily Alerts

Subscribe to receive daily breaking news and legislative developments sent to your inbox.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Most Popular

CFTC Awards $700,000 to Whistleblower for “Courage” and “Critical Role in Enforcement Efforts”

Whistleblowers to Receive Up to $920K after Alleging Fraud in Breast Cancer Testing

Supreme Court Upholds, For Now, Trump Firing of MSPB Chair

Whistleblower Suit Leads to $3.3 Million Stark Law Settlement

Paper Outlines Founding Father’s Warnings As Trump Goes After Key Whistleblower Appointees

Whistleblower Receives $5 Million for Exposing California Health System’s Alleged Kickback Scheme

Whistleblower Poll

Whistleblower Poll
Whistleblower Poll

Exclusive Marist Poll: Overwhelming Public Support Among Likely Voters For Increased Whistleblower Protections

byGeoff Schweller
October 6, 2020

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

STAY INFORMED.
Subscribe to receive breaking whistleblower updates.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

About Us

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Careers

Subscribe

  • Daily Mail
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • YouTube Channel

Contribute

  • Letter to the Editor
  • Submission Guidelines
  • Reprint Guidelines

Your Experience

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Help

  • Rules for Whistleblowers
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Advertise
Whistleblower Network News

Whistleblower Network News is an independent online newspaper providing our readers with up-to-date information on whistleblowing. Our goal is to be the best source of information on important qui tam, anti-corruption, compliance, and whistleblower law developments.

Submit an Article

Copyright © 2025, Whistleblower Network News. All Rights Reserved.

This Newspaper/Web Site is made available by the publisher for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the law, not to provide specific legal advice. By using this website, you understand that there is no attorney-client relationship between you and the Newspaper/Web Site publisher. The Newspaper/Web Site should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state.

Become a Whistleblower Network News Subscriber

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Subscribe to WNN

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Subscribe to WNN
Join the Waitlist for National Whistleblower Day 2025! July 30, 2025 on Capitol Hill
JOIN WAITLIST

Add New Playlist

Demand Protections for Artificial Intelligence Whistleblowers

Take Action!
No Result
View All Result
  • Exclusives
  • Government
    • False Claims-Qui Tam
    • Federal Employees
    • Intelligence
  • Corporate
    • CFTC & Commodities
    • Dodd-Frank
    • IRS & Tax
    • SEC & Securities
  • Features
  • Legislation
  • International
    • Foreign Corruption
  • Rewards
  • Whistleblower of the Week
  • Environment & Climate
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Employment
    • Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblowers
    • Retaliation
    • OSHA
  • Make National Whistleblower Day Permanent
  • Media
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • National Whistleblower Day
  • Whistleblower Poll
  • Whistleblower Resources
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Resources for Locating An Attorney
    • The New Whistleblowers Handbook

Copyright © 2024, Whistleblower Network News. All Rights Reserved.

Go to mobile version