CEO Named in Opioid Lawsuits to Reap $68 Million for Year’s Work

BLOOMBERG

Mark Timney faces the kind of allegations that can end careers.

The former Purdue Pharma LP chief executive officer is accused of playing a key role in fueling the opioid crisis, according to scores of lawsuits by state attorneys general and others. They allege that he directed staff to mislead doctors about the addictiveness of painkillers, which devastated communities across the U.S.

But outside the courtroom, Timney has already begun -- and almost finished -- his next act, which will pay him handsomely for just a year’s work. read more »

Defense Contractor Agrees to Pay $45 Million to Resolve Criminal Obstruction Charges and Civil False Claims Act Allegations

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Unitrans International Inc., a privately held Virginia defense contracting company, has agreed to pay $45 million to resolve criminal obstruction charges and civil False Claims Act allegations relating to the illegal transportation of goods across Iran in connection with a contract to provide material and logistical support to U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

The allegations resolved by the civil settlement were brought in a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. read more »

New Audit Provides Glimpse Into $875M Defense Contractor Shell Game

HONOLULU CIVIL BEAT

The GAO analyzed 32 criminal cases, including at least one with ties to Hawaii, to show how contractors have defrauded the U.S. government.

The Defense Department is the largest contracting agency in the federal government, which makes it a prime target for fraud.

In fiscal year 2018, the agency spent more than $350 billion on contracts for various goods and services. That included more than 570,000 new contracts that went to nearly 38,000 different contractors. read more »

UK’s Serious Fraud Office investigates Glencore over suspected bribery

THE GUARDIAN

The UK’s Serious Fraud Office has launched an investigation into suspicions of bribery at mining and commodity trading group Glencore.

Glencore is also being investigated by the US Department of Justice for alleged money laundering and corruption in Nigeria, Venezuela and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa’s biggest copper producer, dating back to 2007. read more »

US Justice Department Prosecutes Record Number of Foreign Bribery Cases

VOICE OF AMERICA

Federal prosecutors have brought foreign bribery charges against a record number of individuals in 2019, a top Justice Department official said Wednesday.

So far this year, the department has brought international corruption charges against 34 individuals and obtained a record 30 guilty pleas by individuals in similar cases both numbers are the highest on record.

The cases were prosecuted under the U.S. anti-foreign bribery law known as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA. The law bars corporations and their executives from bribing foreign government officials to gain a business advantage. read more »