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Tennessee Whistleblower Fights “Retaliation” by Morgan Stanley

Tennessee Whistleblower Attorney

FALSE CLAIMS ACT FREE CASE EVALUATION: 1-800-632-1404

A Knoxville financial adviser has accused Morgan Stanley of retaliation following his action as a whistleblower. He was terminated on allegations of receiving kickback after the employer came to know about his actions in exposing SOW violations and insider trading, claims the Tennessee false claims attorney representing the whistleblower. The state law assures protection to the whistleblowers from any kind of reprisal.

Filed in February, the Tennessee whistleblower lawsuit cites several instances where John Verble helped the Securities and Exchange Commission with information about insider trading by some of his colleagues. The whistleblower also claims that he is the “Confidential Human Source 1,” as mentioned in the FBI records, who helped the investigators probing discrepancies in a fuel fraud scheme known as the Pilot Flying J investigation in May 2011.

Verble has claimed to expose criminal activity at Knoxville office of Morgan Stanley that he joined in 2006 and “wear a wire for more than a year to record conversations with a Pilot employee.”

Morgan Stanley, on the other hand, has termed his allegations as “rhetoric and misplaced whistleblower aspirations aside” and justified his termination on the ground that he took “six-figure kickbacks” from a sports agent. Verble’s Tennessee whistleblower lawyer says it was “gift for his daughter.”

The whistleblower was interrogated by his superiors in May 2013 about his cooperation with federal investigators after a colleague spotted him meeting with FBI agents, according the lawsuit.

TN Whistleblower Complaint Leads to Investigation

A Tennessee false claim lawsuit has led to investigations against road-building major Jones Brothers. Filed in 2012 by a former employee, the whistleblower lawsuit alleged the company and its affiliates used fraudulent means and false representations to get “projects that would not have been awarded to such primary contractors or alternatively no federal funding would have been provided for the project” between 2007 and 2012.

The FBI investigation came after the court set the latest deadline by June. The defendant “named a minority-owned firm in its contract, but instead did work the subcontractor (G&M Associates) was supposed to do, even going as far as to cover the company logo on their trucks with the minority-owned contractor’s logo and the primary contractors obtained various contracts fraudulently, aided and abetted by G&M,” says the FBI warrant.

The Tennessee false claim lawsuit came at a time when the federal government is has been strict in punishing those involved in procurement fraud. If proved, Jones Brothers may be directed to deposit three-time more money than such alleged fraudulent contracts involve along with a penalty of $11,000 for each instance of deceit.

Court Sets Disclosure Bar for TN False Claim Lawsuits

The Sixth Circuit has delineated the extent of public disclosure of information for use to file false claim lawsuits in Tennessee. In 2006, a whistleblower complaint accused Erlanger Medical Center of fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid billings. The hospital refunded $500,000 to close the federal investigation against it in 2008.

A qui tam lawsuit was initiated two years later based on internal administrative reports. The hospital moved court seeking its dismissal on the ground of already being a public disclosure. Even the government refused to participate. The plaintiff continued with his Tennessee false claims attorney.

The circuit court ruled that “the FCA does not bar jurisdiction over qui tam actions based on disclosures of allegations or transactions to the government.” It held that internal government disclosures arrived at through prior probe did not amount to public disclosure and allowed the complainant to proceed with his lawsuit.

The judgment came within six months of a federal court in Tennessee allowing use of statistical sampling to determine overall damage and liability in false claim lawsuits.

For false claims free case evaluation, please call on 1-800-632-1404 to consult our expert false claims attorney in Tennessee.

Contact a Tennessee False Claims Act Attorney

We help whistleblowers on a contingency basis, meaning there is no fee charged for our work unless there is a recovery. We also front any and all expenses. No matter where you are located — we will represent you. We will come to you, you will not have to come to us. Attorneys in our firm and attorneys that we work with on Whistleblower, Qui Tam, False Claims Act cases have represented a host of persons making claims, for violations of federal tax law, Medicare law and more. For more information, please contact our team of whitsleblower and qui tam attorneys today.

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    Our offices will review potential false claims act cases in all fifty states, including Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama.

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    FBI Probes Memphis VA After Tennessee Whistleblower Red Flagged Purchases

    Tennessee Whistleblower Attorney

    FALSE CLAIMS ACT FREE CASE EVALUATION: 1-800-632-1404

    A Tennessee whistleblower complaint led to the FBI investigating the alleged fraudulent purchases at Memphis Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.  Sean Higgins, a former employee at the hospital, reported suspicious bogus purchases of equipment in March. The whistleblower is also free to file a lawsuit with adequate evidence and even go alone with his Tennessee false claims attorney if the state refuses to be a party to the proceedings. A settlement or court verdict assures him up to a third of recovered amount as award.

    The whistleblower accused another former employee of making fake purchases orders for of certain equipment that went to his partner outside the department. While the order was not officially approved, these equipment were allegedly resold causing over a million dollar loss to the VA.

    The claim goes back to November 2013 when VaproQuip bed bug decontamination machines or “RayPods” were bought for $1.5 million apiece. An email by the TN whistleblower claimed that these machines were ineffective. Similarly, $290,000-worth Magnet Resonance Imaging machine was purchased from the University of Tennessee than the original Swiss supplier by a researcher affiliated with the institution. When Higgins brought these discrepancies to the notice of the logistics head, the order was “straightened out” and the complainant received a Special Recognition award.

    Tennessee False Claims Lawsuit: Erlanger Saga Continues

    A Tennessee false claims lawsuit filed against Erlanger Medical Center alleging Medicare and TennCare fraud continue to make news. In 2005, it paid $40 million to settle referral kickback accusation that reported committed between 1995 and 2003. The Justice Department initiated an investigation after a whistleblower reported violation of Ethics in Patients Referrals Act. At the time of the settlement, the hospital agreed to refrain any such wrongdoing.

    However, a Tennessee false claims attorney representing another whistleblower, a former consultant and care management director at the hospital, filed a fraud petition in 2006. It reported about the practice of “submitting false or fraudulent claims for reimbursement to federally funded healthcare programs.”

    In 2009, Erlanger returned $477,140.42 following an audit by the government. The defendant made it a basis to seek dismissal of the Tennessee whistleblower lawsuit. However, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals restored the litigation ruling that “government audit or investigation did not constitute public disclosure under the False Claim Act.”

    Medtronic Makes Third Settlement

    Medical device manufacturer Medtronic has settled the “country of origin false claim lawsuit” filed against it in Tennessee for $4.4 million. This is the third such settlement by the third-biggest medical device maker in the last two months. In February, it settled two overbilling and Medicare fraud claims for $1.25 million and $2.8 million.

    The Tennessee false claims lawsuit was filed by three Memphis whistleblowers. Filed in 2012, it accused the Irish company of supplying “medical devices to the American military as made in Memphis.” The federal law requires only supply of US-made medical devices to the military. But these devices were procured from China and Malaysia before relabeled and repackaged at a Memphis distribution center, according to the Tennessee false claims lawyer representing the trio.

    One of the three whistleblowers was also instrumental in filing a TN false claims lawsuit against Smith & Nephew for supplying similar relabeled foreign-made medical devices. The claim ended with a $11.3 million settlement in 2014.

    For free case evaluation of whistleblower actions, please call on 1-800-632-1404 to consult our expert false claims attorney in Tennessee.

    Contact a Tennessee False Claims Act Attorney

    We help whistleblowers on a contingency basis, meaning there is no fee charged for our work unless there is a recovery. We also front any and all expenses. No matter where you are located — we will represent you. We will come to you, you will not have to come to us. Attorneys in our firm and attorneys that we work with on Whistleblower, Qui Tam, False Claims Act cases have represented a host of persons making claims, for violations of federal tax law, Medicare law and more. For more information, please contact our team of whitsleblower and qui tam attorneys today.

    CALL 1-800-632-1404

    or fill out this form below for a free initial consultation.

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      Our offices will review potential false claims act cases in all fifty states, including Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama.

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      Tennessee Whistleblower Fights “Retaliation” by Morgan Stanley

      Tennessee Whistleblower Attorney

      FALSE CLAIMS ACT FREE CASE EVALUATION: 1-800-632-1404

      A Knoxville financial adviser has accused Morgan Stanley of retaliation following his actions as a whistleblower. He was terminated on allegations of receiving kickback after the employer came to know about his actions in exposing SOW violations and insider trading, claims the Tennessee false claims attorney representing the whistleblower. The state law assures protection to the whistleblowers from any kind of reprisal.

      Filed in February, the Tennessee whistleblower lawsuit cites several instances where John Verble helped the Securities and Exchange Commission with information about insider trading by some of his colleagues. The whistleblower also claims that he is the “Confidential Human Source 1,” as mentioned in the FBI records, who helped the investigators probing discrepancies in a fuel fraud scheme known as the Pilot Flying J investigation in May 2011.

      Verble has claimed to expose criminal activity at Knoxville office of Morgan Stanley that he joined in 2006 and “wear a wire for more than a year to record conversations with a Pilot employee.”

      Morgan Stanley, on the other hand, has termed his allegations as “rhetoric and misplaced whistleblower aspirations aside” and justified his sacking on the ground that he took “six-figure kickbacks” from a sports agent. Verble’s Tennessee whistleblower lawyer says it was “gift for his daughter.”

      The whistleblower was interrogated by his superiors in May 2013 about his cooperation with federal investigators after a colleague spotted him meeting with FBI agents, according the lawsuit.

      Tennessee Whistleblower Complaint Leads to Complaint Against Construction Company Jones Brothers

      A Tennessee false claims act lawsuit has led to investigations against road-building major Jones Brothers. Filed in 2012 by a former employee, the whistleblower lawsuit alleged the company and its affiliates used fraudulent means and false representations to get “projects that would not have been awarded to such primary contractors or alternatively no federal funding would have been provided for the project” between 2007 and 2012.

      The FBI investigation came after the court set the latest deadline by June. The defendant “named a minority-owned firm in its contract, but instead did work the subcontractor (G&M Associates) was supposed to do, even going as far as to cover the company logo on their trucks with the minority-owned contractor’s logo and the primary contractors obtained various contracts fraudulently, aided and abetted by G&M,” says the FBI warrant.

      The Tennessee false claim lawsuit came at a time when the federal government is has been strict in punishing those involved in procurement fraud. If proved, Jones Brothers may be directed to deposit three-time more money than such alleged fraudulent contracts involve along with a penalty of $11,000 for each instance of deceit.

      Court Sets Disclosure Bar for Tennessee False Claim Lawsuits

      The Sixth Circuit has delineated the extent of public disclosure of information for use to file false claim lawsuits in Tennessee. In 2006, a whistleblower complaint accused Erlanger Medical Center of fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid billings. The hospital refunded $500,000 to close the federal investigation against it in 2008.

      A qui tam lawsuit was initiated two years later based on internal administrative reports. The hospital moved court seeking its dismissal on the ground of already being a public disclosure. Even the government refused to participate. The plaintiff continued with his Tennessee false claims attorney.

      The circuit court ruled that “the FCA does not bar jurisdiction over qui tam actions based on disclosures of allegations or transactions to the government.” It held that internal government disclosures arrived at through prior probe did not amount to public disclosure and allowed the complainant to proceed with his lawsuit.

      The judgment came within six months of a federal court in Tennessee allowing use of statistical sampling to determine overall damage and liability in false claim lawsuits.

      For false claims free case evaluation, please call on 1-800-632-1404 to consult our expert false claims attorney in Tennessee.

      Contact a Tennessee False Claims Act Attorney

      We help whistleblowers on a contingency basis, meaning there is no fee charged for our work unless there is a recovery. We also front any and all expenses. No matter where you are located — we will represent you. We will come to you, you will not have to come to us. Attorneys in our firm and attorneys that we work with on Whistleblower, Qui Tam, False Claims Act cases have represented a host of persons making claims, for violations of federal tax law, Medicare law and more. For more information, please contact our team of whitsleblower and qui tam attorneys today.

      CALL 1-800-632-1404

      or fill out this form below for a free initial consultation.

        Your Name (required)

        Your Email (required)

        Your Phone Number (required)

        Case Details

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        Our offices will review potential false claims act cases in all fifty states, including Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama.

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        Tennessee Whistleblower: Know Your Rights

        Tennessee Whistleblower Attorney

        FALSE CLAIMS ACT FREE CASE EVALUATION: 1-800-632-1404

        A Tennessee whistleblower allegation has led to prosecution of a former Knox County trustee under the state false claim law. Mike Lowe has been charged in a Tennessee false claims lawsuit initiated by a “ghost employee” of siphoning taxpayers’ money. The accused reportedly paid salary to ghost employees and bonus to those did not deserve the compensation and was also involved in false billing. A jury indicted Lowe in April 2012 that paved the way for his trial on six felony theft charges.

        The Tennessee false claims act attorney leading the prosecution has also submitted documents showing how the former trustee paid almost five-time more to his friend’s firm for a contract involving preparation of property titles. He paid $250 per title search and abstract compared to $50 the vendor paid to each lawyer. In many cases, payments were done even though the work is not performed.

        The TN false claim lawsuit names Lowe and two of his companions for using the public funds as “piggy bank.”  While Lowe held the position for 13 years, the allegations were based on payments made between 2004 and 2008.

        In another incident, a Tennessee whistleblower has revealed that modified guard rail devices are designed and manufactured in violation of the Federal Highway Administration specifications. The discloser came after 27 lives lost and 324 injured seriously in over 1,400 guard rail crashes.

        What Are Inferred Rights of a Tennessee Whistleblower?

        • Right to disclose anything that leads to misappropriation of public funds, violate laws, or threaten public interest.
        • Right to be protected against retaliation by his employer or defendants.
        • Right to compensation from a part of the total recovery subject to the state law.
        • Right to fight his claim and hire a Tennessee whistleblower lawyer if the state declines to participate in the prosecution.

        What Are Whistleblower Laws?

        The federal False Claims Act came into existence in 1863 to “protect the government from unscrupulous contractors.” It was extensively revised in 1986 offering safeguard to whistleblowers against unfair dismissal and encouraging qui tam lawsuits through an award from recovered funds.

        The Tennessee False Claim Act provides the very basis for the whistleblowers and their attorneys to act. Expanded in 2001, it lays down details of damages to be recovered from the convicted party and compensation for the qui tam plaintiff.

        In 1993, Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act was implemented to encourage, protect, and compensate whistleblowers disclosing dishonest business practices related to the healthcare funds.

        What Are Safeguards for Tennessee Whistleblowers?

        • “Tennessee Code Ann. § 50-1-304” provides safeguards for whistleblowers and encourages qui tam lawsuits highlighting fraud and misappropriation of state or federal funds as stipulated under the False Claim Act.
        • “Tennessee Codes Ann.§ § 50-3-106(7), 50-3-409” assure protection for whistleblowers revealing violations related to health and safety guidelines by their employers.

        Do I Need a Tennessee False Claims Attorney?

        It is important for a whistleblower to consult with an expert Tennessee false claims attorney. His help is important to prepare the documents and expose the false claim in presentations before the Justice Department. Even plaintiffs go on their own when the government refuses to intervene or party to the prosecution.

        For false claims free case evaluation, please call on 1-800-632-1404 to consult our expert false claims attorney in Tennessee.

        Contact a Tennessee False Claims Act Attorney

        We help whistleblowers on a contingency basis, meaning there is no fee charged for our work unless there is a recovery. We also front any and all expenses. No matter where you are located — we will represent you. We will come to you, you will not have to come to us. Attorneys in our firm and attorneys that we work with on Whistleblower, Qui Tam, False Claims Act cases have represented a host of persons making claims, for violations of federal tax law, Medicare law and more. For more information, please contact our team of whitsleblower and qui tam attorneys today.

        CALL 1-800-632-1404

        or fill out this form below for a free initial consultation.

          Your Name (required)

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          Our offices will review potential false claims act cases in all fifty states, including Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama.

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          Tennessee False Claims Act Attorney Discusses Government Contractor Fraud

          Qui Tam Lawyer

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          As Tennessee False Claims Act attorneys that represent individuals who want to blow the whistle on fraud, we wanted to advise that the Justice Department has filed a Complaint against Kellogg Brown & Root Services, Inc. and created companies for submitting false claims in connection with KBR’s contract with the Army to provide logistical support in Iraq.  KBR is an engineering, construction and services firm located in Houston, Texas.  KBR allegedly made claims to the government, knowingly false, under a contract with the Army to provide wartime logistical support under the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program III (LOGCAP III).  The award of LOGCAP III allegedly paved the way for the company to become a critical source for logistical support in Iraq including transportation, maintenance, food, shelter and facilities management.  A complaint filed in Rock Island, IllinoisFederal Court in 2003 and 2004 alleged that KBR employees took kickbacks from Kuwaiti companies in connection with the award and oversight of subcontracts awarded to those companies.  KBR then allegedly claimed reimbursement from the government for costs it incurred under the subcontracts that were allegedly inflated, excessive or for goods and services that were grossly deficient or never provided.

          In merely one example, KBR allegedly awarded a subcontract to supply fuel tankers to a Kuwaiti company for more than three times the tanker’s value.  As another example, KBR allegedly continued to make monthly lease payments to First Kuwaiti for trucks KBR had already returned to the subcontractor, and then billed the government for the costs of both of these subcontracts.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Rock Island has convicted ten companies and individuals in connection with wartime contracts in Iraq.  This includes certain persons pleading guilty for taking kickbacks in return for awarding First Kuwaiti subcontracts.  The original whistleblower, Bud Conyers, included in his complaint some of the allegations that were settled by way of the government’s current announcement.

          If you have confidential information about a fraud against the government in Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas or another state, please contact us as soon as possible for a free case evaluation.

          FOR HELP, PLEASE CONTACT US.

          We help whistleblowers on a contingency basis, meaning there is no fee charged for our work unless there is a recovery. We also front any and all expenses. No matter where you are located — we will represent you. We will come to you, you will not have to come to us. Attorneys in our firm and attorneys that we work with on Whistleblower, Qui Tam, False Claims Act cases have represented a host of persons making claims, for violations of federal tax law, Medicare law and more. For more information, please contact our team of whitsleblower and qui tam attorneys today, or visit our False Claims Act Litigation Source.

          CALL 1-800-632-1404

          or fill out this form below for a free initial consultation.

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            Our offices will review potential false claims act cases in all fifty states, including Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama.

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            Whistleblower Lawyer Reports Michigan Qui Tam Lawsuit

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            As a Memphis, Tennessee qui tam and whistleblower attorney, I read a recent story from the state of Michigan about a qui tam whistle-blower lawsuit.

            A Michigan court ruled in favor of a former nursing home respiratory manager who claimed was fired for cooperating with a state investigation involving resident deaths at the facility. The plaintiff, Elizabeth Williamson, was awarded $705,000 by a Wayne County Circuit Court, which deliberated for only 90 minutes, according to the Detroit Free Press. Williamson helped Michigan Department of Community Health officials who were investigating several serious incidents at Omni Continuing Care, which is operated by Ciena Healthcare Management, in Detroit.

            You can read more of the story by clicking HERE.

            As a whistleblower attorney, we are interested in speaking with persons willing to make known the truth about company practices and are willing to file a qui tam or whistleblower action. One area in particular we are interested in discussing are lawsuits involving medical device companies where the company is alleged to have overcharged, engaged in kickback programs, and the like.

            Workers and persons all across the country witness actions at their work that may be unlawful or even corrupt. Unfortunately, some employees and workers feel that they will be fired, terminated, harrassed or punished if they report an unlawful or corrupt action. These reporters, however, are protected by the law as a Whistleblower and can receive compensation because of the False Claims Act or the Medicaid False Claims Act. If you have reported actions that may be fraudulent, then you should talk to a Whistleblower or qui tam lawyer about your facts.

            Whistleblowers help the government to get back billions of dollars each year with the help of the False Claims Act. In fact, fraudulent Medicaid claims are also caught by whistleblowers having the Medicaid False Claims Act on their side. If you report a false claim or fraudulent action to the government, then the government will give you, the whistleblower, a part of the money that gets recovered. This is because of qui tam requirements. Qui Tam means that a person files a lawsuit for the king and also for him or herself. These requirements and lawsuits were made popular during the Civil War when many people were getting away with fraudulent actions against the government. In 1986, the False Claims Act was amended to raise the total compensation given to people who reported fraudulent actions, or whistleblowers. If a whistleblower works with a lawyer then it may be possible for them to get three times the amount the government would get in damages and also get additional compensation for general fines.

            For more information, please contact whitsleblower and qui tam attorney Ed Wallis at 1-800-632-1404 or send Mr. Wallis an email below for a free initial consultation.

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              Tennessee Whistleblower and Qui Tam Lawyer

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              As a Memphis, Tennessee qui tam and whistleblower attorney, I wanted to make you aware of a recent qui tam settlement as reported by Bloomberg News. This involved a Tennessee whistleblower providing information to stop the improper receipt of taxpayer dollars by corporate America.

              Kidney dialysis provider Fresenius Medical Care AG has been ordered to pay $82.6 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit accusing the company of overcharging Medicare. The lawsuit claimed Fresenius and two of its subsidiaries overbilled Medicare between 1999 and 2005 for home support dialysis supplies.  The allegations were pled in a federal court lawsuit in Nashville, Tennessee. There has yet to be a statement issued by the company.

              Tennessee workers and workers all across the country witness actions at their work that may be unlawful or even corrupt. Unfortunately, some employees and workers feel that they will be fired, terminated, harrassed or punished if they report an unlawful or corrupt action. These reporters, however, are protected by the law as a Whistleblower and can receive compensation because of the False Claims Act or the Medicaid False Claims Act. If you have reported actions that may be fraudulent, then you should talk to a Tennessee whistleblower or qui tam lawyer about your facts.

              In Tennessee and all across the country, whistleblowers help the government to get back billions of dollars each year with the help of the False Claims Act. In Tennessee, fraudulent Medicaid claims are also caught by whistleblowers having the Medicaid False Claims Act on their side. If you report a false claim or fraudulent action to the government, then the government will give you, the whistleblower, a part of the money that gets recovered. This is because of qui tam requirements. Qui Tam means that a person files a lawsuit for the king and also for him or herself. These requirements and lawsuits were made popular during the Civil War when many people were getting away with fraudulent actions against the government. In 1986, the False Claims Act was amended to raise the total compensation given to people who reported fraudulent actions, or whistleblowers. If a whistleblower works with a lawyer then it may be possible for them to get three times the amount the government would get in damages and also get additional compensation for general fines.

              For more information, please contact Tennessee whitsleblower and qui tam attorney Ed Wallis at 1-800-632-1404 or send Mr. Wallis an email below for a free initial consultation.

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