Fraud Charges: Finance/Government Contracts/Mail and False Claims

Collora LLP has often represented clients faced with inquiries, investigations and enforcement actions related to fraud charges. We are experienced at defending false claim actions brought by the government or private relators.

Our lawyers have dealt with other allegations of fraud leveled against borrowers, lenders, government contractors, and ordinary commercial companies dealing with disappointed sellers, purchasers or investors. A variety of laws facilitate criminal fraud charges, and mail and wire fraud provisions in particular are so loose that they are often called “garbage pail” provisions for prosecutors. 

In a number of investigations, we have persuaded U.S. Attorneys not to initiate fraud charges of any kind, and that is always our objective. We have also gone the distance for clients when necessary, achieving acquittals at trial as well.

The following shows the kinds of clients we have represented, their industries, the legal issues we have handled and some of the results we have obtained. (For information about our experience with other government enforcement matters, see the links at the bottom of this page.)

Clients 

Collora LLP has represented a variety of clients in fraud-related inquiries, investigations and trials, including but not limited to:

  • Domestic Public Companies
  • Foreign Companies
  • Closely Held Businesses
  • Executives, Managers and Individuals
  • Borrowers and Lenders
  • Municipalities and Government Entities
  • Non-profit Entities

Industries

Our lawyers have represented clients from a number of industries in fraud-related inquiries, investigations and trials. Some of those industries include:

Issues

We have successfully dealt with a variety of issues associated with fraud actions, including but not limited to issues arising from:

  • Bank Fraud Allegations
  • Bankruptcy Fraud Allegations
  • Government Procurement Fraud Allegations
  • Mail and Wire Fraud Allegations
  • Overbilling and Improper Coding Allegations
  • False Claims Act

Results 

The following summaries are a representative sampling of results we have produced for our clients in matters involving fraud-related inquiries, investigations and enforcement actions.

  • Successfully represented individual and corporate defendants in a number of fraud investigations by the government, persuading prosecutors that cases were meritless or deserved nothing more than corrective actions, such as institution of internal compliance programs.
  • Successfully represented officers, directors and lawyers for failed banks or savings institutions who were accused of bank fraud for undisclosed, risky or improper loan practices in a number of cases. Persuaded prosecutors not to charge or to accept reasonable civil restitution and settlement only.
  • Successfully negotiated a settlement in which our client, a large construction company, was neither charged with a crime nor debarred from public contracting after an 18-month investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s office and the Department of Transportation into allegations of fraud and illegal gratuities.
  • Successfully persuaded the government not to indict a large construction company or its president after an investigation of alleged overbilling for services performed in federally funded public sewer project.
  • Successfully represented municipality, mayor and city officials in civil False Claims Act case brought by the federal government, obtaining dismissal of case more than once under various theories against various defendants.
  • Obtained order quashing extraterritorial subpoena related to matter of first impression. Client was an international contractor that was the subject of a state investigation for alleged false claims. Successful resolution thereafter.
  • Negotiated a favorable civil settlement in case regarding defense contractor’s allegedly false claims after two-week jury trial resulting in no debarment or felony charges.
  • Successfully represented corporation and executive charged with participating in multi-million dollar conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Air Force in connection with computer equipment procurement. Client received a probation sentence and did not have to serve any time despite vigorous prosecution.
  • Successfully represented individual client charged with mail fraud in commercial enterprise, procuring complete acquittal by federal jury.
  • Successfully represented a non-profit family services organization investigated for allegedly fraudulent sales of homes without proper advertising and bidding. Persuaded prosecutors that no criminal charge was appropriate, arranging for compliance program to insure that all statutory procedures would be followed in the future.
  • In a money-laundering and wire fraud case, obtained a sentence of home detention only for our client, who was the only defendant out of 13 not to be incarcerated for alleged role in fraudulent land flips schemes.
  • Successfully negotiated the civil resolution of a matter involving a Justice Department criminal investigation of our client, a defense contractor, which was allowed to continue as a federal government contractor with no criminal charges or penalties.
  • Represented national construction company against allegations of fraud in connection with the procurement of government contracts.  Case resolved civilly with no penalties or debarments.

For more information about our experience with other kinds of government enforcement matters, click on any of the pertinent links below.