EASTFORD — A aerospace manufacturing company based in town had agreed to pay the federal government more than $1.3 million to resolve allegations that it lied in order to get federal contracts, officials said.
Whitcraft LLC and Berkshire Manufactured Products, Inc., which are collectively known as the “Whitcraft Companies,” have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the U.S. and have paid $1,317,653 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act, acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut Mark Silverman said in a news release.
Silverman said the companies are accused of improperly obtaining contracts reserved for small businesses that they were ineligible to receive.
Whitcraft LLC is based in Eastford, Silverman said, while Berkshire Manufactured Products, Inc., is based in Massachusetts. He said the companies, which machine and fabriacate sheet metal aerospace parts and components for both commercial and military aviation, came under the same umbrella when controlling interests in both companies were bought by a private equity group in 2017.
Silverman said the federal government contended that, after being acquired, Whitcraft Companies ceased to qualify as "small business concerns, as defined by the Small Business Administration for government contracts, because of their affiliations with other companies through stock ownership. He said the companies continued to falsely certify that they were "small business concerns" and were awarded...
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