A Vestal business owner has been ordered to pay $130,000 after violating the False Claims Act.
According to the United States Department of Justice, M Squared Staffing LLC, the former operator of the Vestal Coal House and the owner, Mark Mushalla, have been ordered to pay the above amount to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by falsely certifying that the restaurant was eligible to receive funding from the federal Restaurant Revitalization Fund.
M Squared operated a café and events center at the Vestal Coal House on Stage Road in Vestal, pursuant to a license agreement with the Town of Vestal. That agreement expired at the end of 2020. Upon expiration, M Squared vacated the Coal House location and removed the restaurant equipment from the premises.
Despite this, M Squared applied to the U.S. Small Business Administration in May 2021 for a Restaurant Revitalization Fund grant on behalf of the business and falsely said "no" when asked on the application if the business was permanently closed, which made the Vestal Coal House ineligible to receive funds.
As a result, M Squared and Mushalla have been ordered to pay $130,000 to resolve these allegations.
A Vestal business owner has been ordered to pay $130,000 after violating the False Claims Act. According to the United States Department of Justice, M Squared Staffing LLC, the former operator of ...