The State of Maryland Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism (“GOSV”), a division within the Governor’s Office on Community Initiatives (“GOCI”), has agreed to pay the United States $639,916 and enter into a compliance agreement to resolve a civil False Claims Act investigation relating to the operation of its AmeriCorps program.
United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and AmeriCorps’ Inspector General Deborah Jeffrey announced the settlement agreement today.
“This settlement demonstrates our firm commitment to protect taxpayer money and to guard the integrity of federal grant funds,” said United States Attorney Erek L. Barron. “State agencies, such as GOSV and GOCI, are required to account for their use of federal grant funds properly and when they fail to do so they will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Barron.
“AmeriCorps depends on state service commissions to partner in the stewardship of national service funds. The Maryland Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism failed in that trust by overstating its expenses and other irregularities that deprived at-risk communities of benefits intended for them,” said Deborah Jeffrey, AmeriCorps’ Inspector General. “We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland for their work in protecting the integrity of national service.”
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