LED Lighting Solutions and its owner, Thomas DeSantos, of Berlin, have entered into a $300,000 settlement agreement with the government to settle the allegations.
Credit: AP
BERLIN, Conn. — A Connecticut lighting company and its owner have settled with the federal government for $300,000 to resolve allegations that they didn’t comply with the Buy American Act, the Trade Agreements Act and the False Claims Act.
LED Lighting Solutions and its owner, Thomas DeSantos, of Berlin, entered the civil settlement agreement after allegedly selling foreign end products to several government procurement agencies, according to a report Tuesday from the Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Prosecutors say that LED Lighting Solutions and DeSantos shipped products directly from China to a procuring agency, violating the False Claims Act.
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The Trade Agreements Act, or TAA, typically bars government procurements of end products from foreign countries that have not entered into trade agreements with the U.S.
The Buy American Act, or BAA, establishes a preference for the government to acquire domestic end products.
According to prosecutors, in 2013, LED Lighting Solutions entered a Multiple Award Schedule contract with the General Services Administration to supply LED lights and lighting products, which required TAA compliance.
Prior to entering the contract, LED Lighting Solutions gave the...
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