On January 29, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division announced its first reward under the Division’s new whistleblower program, awarding $1 million to a whistleblower whose report helped uncover a bid‑rigging and fraud scheme involving EBLOCK Corporation, an online platform for buying and selling wholesale vehicles. The award represents nearly 30 percent of the $3.28 million criminal fine EBLOCK agreed to pay as part of a deferred prosecution agreement.

Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi underscored the importance of this new program, stating: “Whistleblowers serve as the Justice System’s greatest disinfectant against criminal antitrust conspiracies.”

Launched in July 2025, the antitrust whistleblower program allows qualifying whistleblowers to receive a portion of criminal fines collected if their information materially contributes to a successful prosecution. As discussed in our prior article, the key eligibility criteria include:

• The conduct must be an “eligible criminal violation”, such as cartel activity prohibited by Sections 1, 2, or 3 of the Sherman Act, or related offenses like wire fraud, bribery, obstruction, or false statements.
• The case must result in a fine of at least $1 million.
• The whistleblower’s information must materially assist the investigation.

The program is funded through a statute permitting the U.S. Postal Service to distribute a portion of collected fines. The Postal Service need only have a limited nexus to...

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