The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a world-wide public health crisis that has given rise to unprecedented challenges to national healthcare systems struggling to limit the spread of the virus and treat those afflicted. As entire industries and sectors of the economy shut down, business closed and unemployment skyrocketed to levels previously unknown, threatening global economic stability. The United States government responded to the economic challenges of the global pandemic with a series of financial relief packages, appropriating trillions of dollars through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and other COVID-relief legislation. 

​

Unfortunately, with the escalation spending to unprecedented levels, there is an equally unprecedented opportunity for unscrupulous businesses and individuals to defraud the very programs that were designed to provide badly needed relief. 

​

Whistleblowers have always played an important role in detecting, reporting and prosecuting fraud. Using the whistleblowing provisions of the False Claims Act ("FCA"), Stone Law Firm is working with the government enforcers to aggressively pursue companies and individuals who defraud government programs, at the taxpayers’ expense, and for their own profit. 

​

Examples of schemes to defraud pandemic relief programs:

 

• Fraudulent applications to PPP Program

• Fraudulent request for forgiveness of PPP loans.

• Fraudulent applications to SBA for EIDL program

• Banks and lenders knowingly approving ineligible borrowers for relief loan programs

• Price gouging for pandemic related PPE

• Submitting fraudulent claims for testing, diagnosis or treatment related to COVID-19

• Making and distributing unauthorized Vaccination Record Cards

• Fraudulent applications for Unemployment benefits

• Filing fraudulent tax returns claiming false Employee Retention Credits (ERCs)

• Submitting fake attendance rosters to obtain Federal Child Nutrition Program funds 

• False certifications of eligibility for various federal programs