A Connecticut company and its owner have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the United States for violating the False Claims Act by shipping products directly from China to a procuring agency.

LED Lighting Solutions, LLC and its owner, Thomas DeSantos of Berlin, agreed to a $300,000 settlement to resolve allegations that they failed to comply with the Buy American Act and the Trade Agreements Act by “selling foreign end products to several government procuring agencies,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“The TAA generally bars government procurements of end products from foreign countries that have not entered into trade agreements with the U.S. The BAA creates a preference for the government to acquire domestic end products,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

LED Lighting Solutions reportedly entered into a Multiple Award Schedule contract with the General Services Administration in 2013 to supply LED lights and lighting products, which required compliance with the TAA, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“Before entering into the GSA MAS contract, LED Lighting Solutions provided GSA with a ‘letter of supply’ attesting to its supplier’s compliance with the TAA,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. “LED Lighting Solutions certified compliance with the TAA and failed to identify any foreign end products on its product list each year.”

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Air Force, Coast Guard, GSA, Department of State and USDA each ordered...

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