A whistleblower represented by Baron & Budd provided the critical inside information to the DOJ that resulted in the record-breaking small business fraud settlement.
DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, the Dallas-based national law firm of Baron & Budd announced that it helped secure a historic $48.5 million settlement against TriMark USA, LLC and related entities—the largest amount ever recovered in the history of False Claims Act litigation involving allegations of small business fraud. The recovery eclipses the previous record settlement involving small business fraud—$37 million against Atlantic Diving Supply and related entities—which also resulted from a whistleblower lawsuit filed by Baron & Budd.
The success of this case exemplifies the importance and the strength of the public/private partnership between whistleblowers and the Department of Justice. The DOJ has made it very clear that it is committed to protecting opportunities for small businesses, and whistleblowers are a vital asset in the identification and prosecution of these fraud cases.
The lawsuit against TriMark was initiated by a whistleblower represented by Baron & Budd who alleged that TriMark—the nation’s largest restaurant supply company with a local distribution facility near DFW airport—violated the False Claims Act by illegally obtaining government contracts set aside for small businesses owned by service-disabled veterans. According to the lawsuit, TriMark is a large business under...
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