Getnick & Getnick launching private economic crime unit to combat COVID-19 stimulus funds fraud.

Here is the solution:

What is needed is a combined public/private partnership of fraud fighters to: (1) prevent fraud, waste and abuse; (2) identify fraud schemes; and (3) aggressively prosecute (civilly and criminally) the perpetrators of those schemes. This has worked well in the past and it will work again if we are disciplined, collaborative, and swift.

In all of this, whistleblowers play a central role. Whistleblowers identify problems ahead of the curve and decide to do something about it. This is a key area where G&G comes in. We have a long and successful track record representing whistleblowers and generating recoveries of defrauded funds for the government, with a substantial share awarded to our clients.

Here is why G&G is uniquely qualified to form a private economic crime unit to combat COVID-19 stimulus fraud, based on our experience and successful results:

Starting in the early 1990’s G&G formed a private economic crime unit to fight Medicare and Medicaid fraud using our nation’s whistleblower laws. Read the New York Times article HERE. Since then the firm has recovered over a billion dollars for the federal and state governments under those laws with a series of record-breaking cases. Read the National Law Journal profile HERE. These cases include: the then largest federal Federal False Claims Act recovery ever (1997); the then largest Medicaid fraud FCA recovery ever (2003); the largest single whistleblower recovery ever (2010); and a massive fraud recovery for the private insurance industry against a major pharmaceutical manufacturer arising out of a prior governmental whistleblower case handled by G&G (2019).

On another front, G&G has been a long-time leader in the area of independent monitoring.

Most significantly, G&G served as an independent integrity monitor for what is generally recognized as the most important monitorship program in our nation’s history: the post 9/11 World Trade Center disaster clean-up. That program led to a highly unusual, and in some respects unique, post-disaster outcome. The disaster clean-up came in ahead of time, below budget, and in full compliance with specifications. A Congressional investigative committee declared the WTC independent monitorship program to be a “Best practice [that] caught and deterred fraud.” Read Neil Getnick’s Congressional testimony HERE and the Committee’s report HERE.

All of these accomplishments were based on a methodology that G&G has developed and refined over three decades. The methodology combines the use of multi-disciplinary teams with public/private partnerships. The resulting synergies generate unparalleled results.

Multi-disciplinary teams: G&G pioneered the private sector use of multi-disciplinary teams to investigate and prosecute frauds, potentially both civilly and criminally. G&G’s teams utilize lawyers, investigators, forensic accountants, and industry experts, working together to set goals, develop strategies, and implement tactics that maximize successful results.

Public/Private partnerships: G&G has developed close working relationships with law enforcement and other government agencies at the federal, state and local levels to uncover and prosecute a wide range of fraud schemes. G&G has successfully partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice, United States Attorneys’ offices across the country, the FBI and other federal and state law enforcement agencies, state attorneys general offices, and local prosecutorial and police authorities. Through these public/private partnerships, G&G and its clients have spearheaded parallel prosecutions under federal and state False Claims Act whistleblower laws; the IRS, SEC and CFTC whistleblower laws; the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”); and state fraud laws.

Please CONTACT US if you know about COVID-19 stimulus funds fraud. Our attorneys will evaluate your information and take steps to recover defrauded funds alongside the government in appropriate cases.

RELATED MATERIALS:

• Hurting Long Before COVID-19, Failing Companies Took Stimulus Money Then Closed Anyway, USA Today, January 13, 2021 (Neil V. Getnick quoted: “One of the first things clear from this data is that it’s not the illegal things that threw [the PPP program] off-kilter – it’s the misuse and money that went to unintended recipients.”)
• FCA Whistleblowers Are More Important Than Ever Before, Neil V. Getnick, Law360, January 6, 2021, (“The 35-year track record of the anti-fraud Federal False Claims Act and its qui tam whistleblower provisions is a story of great success. Key to that result was the establishment over time of a new paradigm in the form of a public/private partnership. Today, lawyers who represent whistleblowers carry on that tradition by offering needed resources to government officials, in the fight against fraud, waste and abuse of COVID-19 disaster relief funds.”)
• Viewpoint: IGs Need More Resources to Combat COVID Stimulus Spending Fraud, Neil V. Getnick, Government Executive, December 17, 2020 (“As Congress considers additional spending, it must also expand funding for inspectors general and other forms of fraud prevention. An when IGs report problems, the issues should be addressed rather than denied.”)
• Maximum PPP Loan Went to Rep. Budd’s Family’s Business, NBC Charlotte WCNC, December 7, 2020 (“[Getnick’s] now pushing for more oversight, including better funding for federal inspectors general, more whistleblowers and independent forensic accountants, something he calls private integrity monitors.”)
• 15 North and South Carolina Businesses Received Maximum $10 Million PPP Loans, NBC Charlotte WCNC, December 4, 2020 (“The whole point of the program was to reach out to the small businessmen and businesswomen and help them keep their businesses afloat. After all, it’s the Small Business Administration.”)
• Sen. McConnell Sends Mixed Signals on $600 Jobless Payments, ThinkAdvisor, August 5, 2020 (Neil V. Getnick quoted: “Whatever differences of opinion may exist, hopefully providing for robust oversight will achieve bi-partisan support.”)
• Armed With Whistleblower Tips, U.S. SEC Cracks Down on Coronavirus Misconduct, Reuters, May 26, 2020 (“Getnick said a broad range of misconduct related to the COVID-19 outbreak, such as loan fraud, price-gouging, counterfeit or substandard medical goods, or healthcare fraud, could potentially find their way into the SEC’s remit, due to the breadth of the securities laws.”)
• Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness and Safe Harbor Deadline: Here’s The Latest, Fast Company, May 14, 2020 (“Moving forward, federal and state legislation involving funding for COVID-19-related issues needs to prioritize protecting against fraud, waste, and abuse.”)