Avoiding the Pathway on Government Contract Fraud – Do You Have the Right Defense Lawyer?

Do You Have the Right Government Contract Fraud Defense Lawyer? Federal government contract fraud prosecutors have been pursuing defendants at full speed in the last 5-7 years. The companies involved are alleged to have committed a series of procurement fraud activities. The criminal defendants, which could be the company, or the CEO, or both, very seldom have any idea of the charges and become confused about the allegations. 

By the time a government investigation starts and white collar criminal charges a brought, the government attorneys may have already accumulated a wealth of information about the case and are ready to move forward. See information about signs of being under investigation.

What is Government Contract Fraud? 

The United States Federal Government contracts with commercial sector companies for a variety of products and services ranging from IT services and products, medical and professional services and construction and high-tech complex equipment. If a company or individual breaks the law, falsifies documents or misrepresents information to in turn get a benefit or payment from the government, then there is a good case for government contract fraud. The slightest fact of deception, concealment or intent to defraud the government may fill the definition of government contract fraud.

How Does a Government Contractor Fraud Case Begin?

During the performance stage, something may alert the contracting officer that something unusual is going on. It could be that your invoice seems drastically unusual; there are too many requests for changes and requests for equitable adjustment, or the Contracting Officer Representative may report gossip about relationships between your company and another small business. The problem is that you may not get a direct call from the contracting officer. Instead, he or she may call the Office of Inspector General (OIG) Office, Department of Justice (DOJ), Small Business Administration (SBA) or another government contractor fraud office.  In turn, a government investigation of your company begins. Being investigated or charged with government contract fraud can be an embarrassing situation to be in. However, you still have to deal with the situation.

Common Types of Government Contract Fraud Cases

The last 8-10 years have produced indictments and criminal charges in common types of government contractor  fraud cases. One of the most common types of criminal cases involve small business fraud and federal subcontracting fraud.  See example. Specifically, defense contractors or commonly investigated and charged with violating SBA programs such as the SBA 8(a) BD Program; SBA HUBZone Fraud allegations, or activity involving the Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Program (SDVOSB).

In these types of cases, an active investigation can involve a series of substantive issues: They include: small businesses involved in pass-through fraud schemes where the government alleges that the contractor is not complying with the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) by not performing the prime contractor’s statutory amount of work; small business fraud alleging that the prime contractor has misrepresented information during the application for SBA small business status; and SBA affiliation violations which lead to allegations of procurement fraud.

Costly mistakes to avoid when allegations of small business fraud begin: When you believe or know that your company is under federal investigation for small business government contract fraud, you want to make sure that you are in fact compliant with SBA size standards.  This is not as simple as it may look. Sometimes, even the SBA does not interpret its own small business regulations, but will charge you for violating the rules based on SBA affiliation.

Many companies will simply wait out the investigation to see what happens next. This can be a serious mistake because at this stage the government’s case is already well on the way. A common mistake is to simply disagree with the SBA and not conduct your own due diligence. Understanding small business fraud because of allegations of violating the small business size standards can be a confusing and complex legal issue, you want to make sure that your teaming agreements and subcontracting relationships meet the statutory regulations. See how to defend Qui Tam Cases involving Government Contracts. Not understanding how affiliation occurs, or knowing the exceptions to revenue calculations can put you at a great disadvantage.

Are you planning on just hiring a traditional criminal defense attorney?

Detecting contractor fraud is a priority for the federal government. Therefore, if your company is targeted for government contractor fraud you may be ready to call a local criminal defense law firm to represent you. Although this is a wise choice, small businesses often make the mistake of not developing the right defense team. Government contract law is very complex and contains hundreds of situations where the IG team of DOJ can formulate a federal case against you. Sometimes, traditional local criminal defense counsel may not have the experience needed about the underlying small business rules to fight back.  In order to stand a chance of getting a favorable result in the case, a government contract fraud defense attorney must understand the complex issues about small business fraud that the government is charging you with.

In many of the government’s criminal cases, the prosecution would claim that underlying facts suggest that your company is not in control of the contract, or that your company has created a pass-through fraud scheme because you are not complying with the FAR limitations on subcontracting laws. These are unique cases based on unique facts. These are not situations that every traditional criminal defense attorney would have experienced on a daily basis. Therefore, you want to make sure that you have legal counsel on your team that understands the substantive issues that occur in criminal cases. See information about How to Minimize Criminal Liability in Government Contractor Fraud and Procurement Investigations

Other Common Government Contract Fraud Cases

Other situations that could trigger civil or criminal contractor fraud cases on a federal project can include.

• Falsifying or misrepresenting information on government contract proposals
• Buying substandard materials than what was agreed upon in the contract
• Violating the Buy American Act
• Overbilling, submitting false information, or submitting fraudulent invoices.
• Invoicing for expenses not incurred as part of the contract.
• False invoices for work that was never performed. 
• Falsifying data.
• Substituting approved materials with unauthorized products.
• Misrepresenting your performance and progress status to continue receiving Government funds.
• Charging labor rates other than those stated or negotiated for in a government contract; and 
• Influencing government employees to award a grant or contract to a particular company, family member, or friend.

As is the case in small business fraud and SBA fraud contracts, there are also common allegations in fraud of bribery, kickbacks, gratuities, and conflicts of interest involving government employees connected with federal contracts. All of these types of cases command immediate help from government contract fraud defense lawyers who can immediately assess the seriousness of your case.

What are things you should immediately do if investigated for procurement fraud?

If you are a small business or large contractor being investigated for defense contractor fraud, all companies sometimes make deadly mistakes by either not taking immediate action or in their legal approach. Oftentimes, the immediate action depends on the final goal sought. For example, sometimes companies realize that the investigation office, IG or DOJ, may very well have evidence against the company or its employees that may not be favorable. In this situation, you would want to develop the strongest position you can upfront. Only this way can put you yourself in the best position to negotiate a better outcome.

• Develop your strongest position first and don’t simply go along with the pace that the government sets.
• Make sure you have legal counsel that understands government contracts and SBA small business law.

Immediately seek legal counsel to protect your rights. You, and the company, have constitutional and statutory rights. You want to immediately protect them.

If you are approached by federal investigators or law enforcement, you want to be cooperative. However, you want to have advice of counsel before interviewing. Once you have waived any rights you have, it is sometimes difficult to overcome the headache that follows.

• You also want to conduct an internal investigation to immediately address any allegations or correct problems.

Government Contract Fraud & Suspension and Debarment Disclosure Requirement: Suspension and debarment regulations are areas that many companies do not realize can haunt you even if you successfully negotiate a fine or reduce the criminal penalty. If your company is being investigated for government fraud, then also be mindful that you can still be subjected to suspension and debarment regulations. Whether or not your criminal defense attorney is experienced in this area of law is yet another question for you to consider. Basic Tips on How to Respond to Federal Government Investigations.

As a government contractor, you want to protect your legal interest from all angles and not just the investigative levels. Your company can still be on the hook. If you are suspended or debarred, then you will face another crucial blow. Is your team experienced to handle all of these issues?

 Did you know that the Federal Acquisition Regulation places examples or causes for which the government has the authority to suspend or debar a contractor? As amended, the FAR puts forth language that your company may be suspended or debarred for: the knowing failure of a contractor’s principals to timely disclose credible evidence of a Federal criminal violation, a False Claims Act violation or a significant overpayment are causes for suspension and debarment. See Contractor Faces Service Disabled Veteran Fraud and False Claims Act Criminal Liability

Do You Have Government Contract Fraud Defense Attorneys That Can Help?

 Did you know that procurement fraud investigations and defense contractor fraud indictments can start with whistleblowers under your own roof? Many government contractor fraud cases result from insiders or subcontractors blowing the whistle on you. What do you do when this happens? First, you cannot retaliate against the whistleblower. That would only add to the nightmare and create more lawsuits.

 As stated earlier, whistleblower cases can stem from common areas such as falsifying your small business status, pass-through contract schemes, violating the limitation on subcontracting laws, providing false information to the government in order to get government contracts and more.

• If you are a small business, seek defense counsel that understands the rules.
• Get counsel that understands the FAR requirements and SBA small business rules.
• If you are a HUBZone or SBA 8(a) contractor, see government contract fraud defense attorneys that understand the regulations and develop a strategy to minimize criminal and civil liability.

For immediate help with the legal defense of a defense contractor fraud investigation, or procurement fraud case, call Watson & Associates’ government contractor fraud defense attorneys and False Claims Act defense lawyers.

Hiring Defense Contractor Government Procurement Fraud Lawyers & Criminal Defense Attorneys

Free Confidential Initial Consultation. Call Toll Free 1-866-601-5518. As government contract fraud attorneys, we help federal contractors in all states and overseas.