Founder
ZOLL Medical Corporation has agreed to pay $400,000 to the United States to settle claims that it violated the Trade Agreements Act (TAA). Our client who exposed the fraud filed a qui tam lawsuit in 2019, alleging false claims made by the company from January 2019 to November 2022. The settlement with ZOLL resolves claims that ZOLL falsely stated the echocardiogram (ECG) cables it sold to various federal government buyers were made in the United States, despite being aware that that the cables actually came from China. The cables were to be used for cardiac monitors and defibrillators and were purchased by the Department of Defense and other government buyers.
What to Know About the ZOLL Settlement
TAA violations are a common type of fraud conducted by government contractors or defense contractors. The TAA requires that goods sold to the military or federal government buyers must be produced in America or certain approved foreign countries, of which China is not one.
The settlement with ZOLL addresses common law claims as an alternative remedy under the False Claims Act. Our client who exposed the fraud will get a portion of the settlement. Blowing the whistle against a person’s own place of employment is never an easy decision, but he never faltered in his dedication to pursuing justice, and we are proud to say we, along with Whistleblower Law Collaborative LLC, represented him and helped steer his case toward success.
A team of federal prosecutors from the District of Rhode Island, led by Assistant United States Attorneys Bethany Wong and Dulce Donovan, spearheaded the government’s case. They conducted a comprehensive and meticulous investigation with the assistance of several federal agencies, including:
- Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, Rhode Island Task Force;
- Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service;
- Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office;
- Army Criminal Investigation Division, Major Procurement Fraud Field Office;
- Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Procurement Fraud Detachment 6;
- Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division, Northeast Field Office;
- Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General; and
- U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Boston Field Office.
Contact Herman Law Group
Herman Law Group has extensive experience handling cases on behalf of whistleblower clients, as well as victims of workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. If you wish to pursue an employment law claim of any kind, please don’t hesitate to contact us today. We are here to listen to your story and fight for the justice you deserve.