• Qui Tam
  • SEC
  • CFTC
  • FCPA
  • Whistleblower Resources
  • FAQS
Subscribe
Donate
No Result
View All Result
Whistleblower Network News
The Truth at Any Cost.
Qui Tam, Compliance and Anti-Corruption News.
SIGN THE PETITION FOR NATIONAL WHISTLEBLOWER DAY IN 2023
Whistleblower Network News
  • Qui Tam
  • SEC
  • CFTC
  • FCPA
  • Whistleblower Resources
  • FAQS
Subscribe
Donate
No Result
View All Result
Whistleblower Network News
No Result
View All Result
Home False Claims-Qui Tam

Utah Prison Whistleblower Disclosures Lead To $17 Million FCA Lawsuit

Laura PetersonbyLaura Peterson
April 21, 2020
in False Claims-Qui Tam
Reading Time: 2 mins read
Rio Tinto Whistleblower Files Complaint with U.S. Regulators
Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInEmail

A whistleblower complaint filed under the False Claims Act has resulted in the federal government charging the state of Utah with misappropriating more than $17 million in federal grants from the 2008 bailout.

The U.S. attorney for Utah filed a lawsuit in U.S district court April 10, claiming several agencies in the state’s criminal justice system used grants awarded for hiring new employees to fill regular budget gaps. The grants were awarded from a program created to provide relief during the recession resulting from the 2008 financial crisis. “Supplanting” state budgets with federal money is prohibited in the grant program.

The fraud was brought to the government’s attention by Reginald Williams, a prisoner in Utah state prison. Williams filed a qui tam whistleblower complaint in 2015 while working in the prison’s print shop and discovering that the Utah Department of Corrections was using grant money to pay guards. Federal officials agreed to intervene in the case and learned that officials from six different agencies, including the Utah attorney general’s office, were involved. Williams alleges he was removed from his job in the print shop as retaliation.

Support Whistleblower Network News

Under the False Claims Act, violators are also liable for treble damages, making it one of the most effective anti-fraud laws in the United States. Williams could be eligible for 15 to 30 percent of any monetary sanctions collected by the government, so he could receive upwards of $2 million. Since 1986, whistleblower cases under the FCA have brought in over $42.5 billion to the U.S. Treasury and more than $6.4 billion has been awarded to whistleblowers for their disclosures.

The lawsuit is a reminder of the importance of oversight when the government dispenses large amounts of aid to businesses and individuals, such as the current trillion-dollar coronavirus bailout. Legal experts and whistleblower advocates have warned of the high risk of fraud associated with such bailouts and emphasized the need for strong protections for “those who blow the whistle on misappropriation of government funds.

Tags: False claims act rewardsqui tam whistleblowersWhistleblower Retaliation
Previous Post

International Whistleblowers Can Receive Huge Financial Rewards Using U.S. Laws Overseas

Next Post

SEC Awards $5 Million to Whistleblower Who Suffered Workplace Retaliation

Laura Peterson

Laura Peterson

Next Post
April 2015 SEC Whistleblower Awards List

SEC Awards $5 Million to Whistleblower Who Suffered Workplace Retaliation

Please login to join discussion

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

US Attorneys Reflect on UK’s Whistleblowing Awareness Week

OSHA Highlights Railroad Worker Whistleblower Protections in Wake of Train Derailments

AML Whistleblower Law Could Shift the Way DOJ Handles Whistleblowers

Two Powerful Women Whistleblower Pairs to Learn From This Women’s History Month

WNN Exclusive Interview with Social Security Whistleblowers Sarah Carver and Jennifer Griffith — Part 2

Change the Culture, Make National Whistleblower Day Permanent

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
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

  • The Whistleblowers Handbook
  • 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 © 2021, 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.

SIGN THE PETITION FOR NATIONAL WHISTLEBLOWER DAY IN 2023
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
  • Media
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • National Whistleblower Day
  • Whistleblower Poll
  • Whistleblower Resources
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Resources for Locating An Attorney
    • The New Whistleblowers Handbook
  • National Whistleblower Day ’23

Copyright © 2020, Whistleblower Network News. All Rights Reserved.

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

Add New Playlist

Go to mobile version