Metna Co. And Its President Voluntarily Agree To Two-Year Ban From Federal Contracting
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — United States Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that Metna Co., a Lansing-based research and development firm, paid $500,000 to resolve allegations that the company violated the federal False Claims Act by concealing its use of underpaid foreign graduate students—students, the government alleged, who were ineligible to work at Metna under their visa restrictions—to obtain Small Business Innovation Research (“SBIR”) contracts from the United States Army. Metna and its president also voluntarily agreed to two-year, government-wide exclusions from federal contracting and financial assistance.
The SBIR program, administered through eleven participating agencies, encourages domestic small businesses to engage in federally-sponsored research and development with the potential for commercialization. By including qualified small businesses in the nation’s research and development efforts, the SBIR program stimulates high-tech innovation and promotes entrepreneurialism to meet the government’s needs.
The Army’s SBIR contract proposal process requires applicants to declare any foreign nationals working on the project. Foreign national disclosures facilitate the Army’s review of foreign nationals’ visa work authorizations, their compliance with visa work restrictions, and any potential risks associated with providing access to innovative research and emerging...
Business THE management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has noted with concern the circulation of unfounded and misleading claims suggesting that its petroleum products are export...